Summer Dining

The other night I went for an outdoors feast chez Sally & her family.  Sal & her brother had been busy in the kitchen preparing some side dishes to accompany the main event of a big baked fish for five hungry hedgehogs / humans.  The meal was incredibly good, simple, fresh & a perfect way to welcome in the warmer weather making its way (albeit a little tentatively this year) to Melbourne.

Not only was this an opportunity to eat well, it also served the purpose of teaching one of the Hayes' pals how to cook like a pro . . . 

The preparation of the fish dish was far simpler than the final flavours would suggest.  As long as you have an oven preheated to say, 150-190 degrees C (dependant on fan force being set or not), all there is to do is line your tray with baking paper; lay down the fish fillets; sprinkle with a healthy dose of sea salt, pepper, spices, fresh coriander/cilantro & thinly sliced lemon. 

The spice mix we used hailed from the range at Gewürzhaus - their Chermoula, to be precise, which hit the spot perfectly.

Cover the whole arrangement with foil & in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until fish is cooked through.  A slice into the centre of a fillet should give this away.

Serve with some fresh salad and/or roast veggies & you're away!  Just like these chickadees.

Accompanied by a gingham table cloth, tea light candles in recycled jars, & a lovely drop, one can safely say, "Welcome, Summertime" :-)

Foodie Friends II

Last Saturday night was a big one.  A big one in terms of lovely company, delicious food, a great film & lots of laughs.  

Zoë offered to whip us up some dinner before we made an excursion to the cinema to see About Time, which turned out to be a gem of a film.  

Having lived in Italy for a time, Zoë is a bit of a master chef in the way of pasta dishes.  Her mushroom spaghetti is simple yet oh so delicious & in true Italian style, Zoë keeps the ingredient lineup to a minimum, allowing the natural flavours to speak for themselves.  The pasta, cooked to perfection, caps off the whole ensemble texture-wise, its form in tact as its mild aroma allows the buttery-sweet notes of the mushrooms to rest on your palate.  Di-vine.

Begin by prepping your ingredients:

A generous amount of garlic, finely chopped
Big pinch of dried chilli flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
Mushrooms, chopped as large or as small as you like
Pot of boiling water
Pasta of your choosing (Zo goes for spaghetti in this instance)
Finely chopped parsley for a final garnish
Grated cheese (Parmesan is always a winner but my newest love combination is Tasty / Cheddar)

While you have your water on the stove heating, toss the the garlic, chilli flakes & oil into a large fry pan to sizzle.  When the garlic is golden & aromatic, add the chopped mushies & stir altogether.
Mushrooms softened, allow them to rest on a low heat, giving the flavours opportunity to mingle & caramelise.
Meanwhile, add a pinch or two of salt to the boiling water, followed by your pasta, & allow to cook for as long as directed.

When the pasta is al dente, drain the water & mix the moistened threads through the mushrooms.  Keeping the heat on, drizzle a healthy glug of olive oil over & stir until deliciously combined.

Scoop it into bowls, garnish with as much cheese & parsley as you see fit & you know the drill after this . . . 

. . . Take a photo of an old-fashioned teapot & an indoor plant . . .

Once you're all fed & feeling fine, you can do whatever you choose.  Zoe & I frolicked amongst the neighbourhood flower vines on our way to the cinema.  As it's racing season in Melbourne, we thought these made adequate flower crowns for fascinators.  Floating fascinators, granted, but you get the gist . . .

Follow all this by a good rom com & a choc top for dessert, & I'm a happy chappy!

Setting Sail

This Saturday just gone, we ventured up to the Victorian seaside town of Sorrento, just about an hour and a half's drive from the city.  Our friend C, who has been working on building a sailboat with the team at the Wooden Boat Shop for a few years now, invited an impressive group of family & friends to join in the launching of this beautiful creation onto the high seas . . . complete with Champagne bottle christening & a ceremonial blessing, this felt like a very special day.

Mum, Dad & I loaded into the car & hit the highway bound for the sea.  I don't think C and his family could have asked for or orchestrated a more perfect day.  Weather-wise, there is hardly a cloud in the sky.

We rolled down the gravel driveway to the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club around 2pm, and joined the milling crowd in the clubhouse for drinks & nibbles.

Still with a little time before the official ceremony began, we couldn't help but meander down the jetty to get a closer look at the brand new boat floating serenely atop the blue-green ripples.

Once the wind & choppy tides had calmed down, she was pulled in closer to the pier in preparation for the blessings & christening.

Ain't she something?!  I was quite taken with the colour and engraving - a handsome combination.

Breeze on my face, I got to visualising myself guiding a boat in the quiet of the day, cutting the blue depths & leaving a trail of white in the wake, the wind speeding the vessel along seamlessly across the water.

Gradually the crowd congregated at the end of the jetty, milling in eager anticipation of the official proceedings.  When the Champagne bottle cracked cleanly against the boat (never fear, there was a sock to protect the flawless wooden finish from the shattering glass!) a grand cheer rose into the air as the flags danced happily in the breeze.

Of course, I could not resist snapping a photograph of this lady fisherman, carrying on with her fishing as the chatter & hoorays from the crowd flew about in the salty sea breeze.

Eventually, the sun sank lower and the clouds of the early evening began to scatter their way across the sky.  With all that fresh sea air in our lungs, we made our way back to the big smoke.  

Adventures like these remind me how many different ways there are to spend your time, & touching base with old friends as well as getting to know a few new ones, was super refreshing.  Not to mention revelling in the beauty that nature offers up.