1. Whats your #1 comfort food?
You're going to think this really weird but if I'm not well, bluesy, I go for Arnotts Mint Slice biscuits or white bread and fish paste! I know, disgusting but reminds me of children's birthday parties when I was a kid. I'm also partial to fish and chips with white vinegar, a strong cup of tea or a glass of Creaming Soda . . again . . back to Thursday nights at home . .late night shopping and fast food. We had a great chippy, perfect potatoey chips, none of this reconstituted perfectly sized chippy bizz.
2. If you were stranded on a desert island what food would you want to have with you to survive on? Mangoes, crusty bread and brie, not necessarily together . . .that's the five food groups almost covered!
3. What are your signature dishes? (What dishes are you known for making?)
Plain but a favourite, Bacon and Sour Cream Potato Bake, Beef Stroganoff, Thai Chicken Curry, Beef Carpaccio and Watercress Salad, Mussels in Tomato Garlic sauce, pancakes and crepes, Fresh Fruit Platter with warm Chocolate dipping sauce. Sounds fancy but I'm a lazy cook so they're all massively easy.
4. It's Friday night, you don't know what to cook. You opt for?
Whatever Adam makes usually . . pizza . . .Thai Chicken Curry or a ham, cheese and tomato toastie.
5. What's your ultimate food weakness?
Seafood . . .love the shellfish. Not so fussed about the bits with suckers on them. I know, I know, they're bottom feeders but fresh rock oysters, mud crab and tiger prawns . . .add a little dipping sauce, mix with linguine or stirred through risotto . . .bangarang! Oh and creamy mashed potato. Oh oh and kalamata olives . . oh oh oh and Maggie Beer Pheasant Farm Pate . . . Oh oh oh oh and Connosiur Coffee Grand Marnier Ice cream . . .STOP! I hasten to add I rarely eat these things but they are delish.
6. What food can you soooo not eat? Anything with too much coriander in it . . .tripe (my Grandma used to love tripe, vinegar and onion), pigs trotters, offal, or any 'unusual' cuts of meat or fatty lamb (frenched cutlets are OK). I am not a lover of lots of oil of any type on any food.
7. You need a drink, you grab a.....? If it's a special occasion. . . a bottle of Billiecart Salmon Champagne. More frequently? Cleanskin Semillon Chardonnay $5.99 a bottle, or a nice Goundry Unwooded Chardy- erm a little more a bottle and Christmas is not Christmas without Mango Daiquiris, Caiparaina or Gin and Tonic and Baileys Irish Cream on ice. Non alcoholic? Tea . . I love tea . . Twinings Irish Breakfast with a splash of low fat milk and one sugar . . .
8. What's the most decadent dish you've ever had?
Tough really because when I go out for dinner which is rarely, I try to order something that I either couldn't be bothered making or simply couldn't make myself. In terms of total guilt . . sticky date pudding with triple cream . . . Jayne's uber gooey chocolate cake and strawberries or any beautifully presented 'tasting' plate that gives you a little sample of everything and looks like a work of art.
9. What's your favourite type of food?
French, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Nouvelle . . . Tapas to Tagliatelle I don't have a favourite but I don't like Lebanese food . . .and I can pass on Greek . . .sorry Marianna . .just too much olive oil although Moussaka is to die for and smashing plates is fun. I love a good authentic Rogan Josh or Madras or Korma with all the trimmings.
10. Favourite Dish?
Seared Atlantic salmon with new potatoes and baby peas, a really well done seafood platter or a simple rare fillet steak with green peppercorn sauce and creamy mashed potatoes.
11. If your partner could take you to any restaurant, where would you go? Partner? Hahaha . .you jest! The Watermark at Balmoral Beach for their 9 course degustation menu. Clare and my next culinary adventure when I can afford it
12. Soup or Salad?
Soup in winter, salad in summer . . .Leek and Potato, Creamy Butternut Pumpkin, garlicky mushroom and Minestrone soups (all home made of course). Caesar Salad, Rocket and Pumpkin with a shaving of Pecorino or Semi Sun Dried Tomato and rocket with balsamic vinegar . . oh too many to mention . . . Then I pretty much like every salad as long as there isn't too much olive oil in the dressing.
13. Buffet, Take-Out or Sit-Down?
Sit down . . that's the point of dining out . . being waited on hand and foot, good conversation with friends without being distracted by getting up and down all the time. Or a family lunch al fresco barbecues. Love, laughter and good food.
14. What's the most impressive meal you've ever made?
Without doubt, Christmas Lunch/Dinner, mainly because there are a lot of us. It's warm here at Christmas we have a formal entree, usually a little tasting plate of prawns and oysters with lime dressing, baby Filet Mignon with Bearnaise sauce, pork fillet and sweet onion jam and satay chicken skewers followed by apricot glazed baked ham, potato bake, Caesar salad and a chocolate fountain to finish with marshmallows, rock melon, mango and strawberries.
15. Do you consider yourself a good cook? I'm a basic cook. A lazy cook that lucks out by keeping things simple. I haven't time to be faffing around baking so cakes and puddings aren't my strong point. Produce here is amazingly varied so good fresh ingredients, light delicious dressings and sauces and not too much embellishment . . it's also all in the presentation.
16. Do you know what vichyssoise is?
Well if you're a Celt, you know it's leak and potato soup! Serve it cold and give it a French name and it sounds exotic! Love the French for making everything sound better than it is. Red wine Jus for gravy, Bouillabaisse for fish soup! Coq au Vin for a chicken casserole!
17. Who's your favourite TV cook? Jaime Oliver. Not because he cooks particularly spectacular dishes but because he's entertaining. And the boys on "Surfing the Menu" because . . well . . they're hot! I'm also totally addicted to Master Chef. A competition where normal people face off by cooking gourmet dishes to win over a 12 week period. It's compelling viewing!
18. Can you name at least three famous cooking personalities?
Jamie Oliver, Maggie Beer, Keith Floyd (RIP), The Two Fat Ladies (RIP one), Curtis Stone, Mark Gardiner and of course the pock-marked potty mouth Gordon Ramsay . . twat!
19. Homemade or homemade from a box?
Never, never from a box unless it's one of those pretty American Style Chinese containers . . . (Although I might cheat occasionally and buy tomato 'stir through' sauce or Curry Paste in a jar and I did have a "Lean Cuisine" phase for a while)The only thing I buy in a box is frozen raspberries because fresh ones are too expensive.
20. Tag three more foodies... No tags but feel free . . . whatever you do, remember your manners, use your cutlery from the outside in and just don't play with your food . .
You like some weird food! LOL! Remind me never to get stranded on an island with you. Wait, scratch that, I could put up with the crazy food, because the company would be so good!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I will let you make me a Christmas dinner!
An interesting and revealing list. I always understood that if you were stranded on a desert island the thing to take with you was the potato as it could keep you alive longer than anything else.
ReplyDeletei think i just gained 5 pounds reading your list...love seafood myself. sounds like we have similar palates baino.
ReplyDeleteliking that word memeliscious
ReplyDeleteMemeliscious sounds delicious as do most of those foodie dishes.
ReplyDeleteCut the cream and I will be there in a flash. I cook with oil rather than butter since I don't tolerate it.
I am with you on the sit-in and chat meals with friends. I actally dislike take-aways.
Well done!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I've had more than enough to eat now after reading that :)
have a great week
Ribbon :)
I really enjoyed reading this - just what I needed to tickle my tastebuds before tonight's Masterchef - the Professionals. It's finals week & they are cooking for the Michelin Star chefs. Can't wait :)
ReplyDeleteI absoulutely detest cooking - it's a torture. Before I agreed to marry Sir H - we agreed that he would do all the cooking - which he absolutely enjoys doing. A match made in heaven because I enjoy eating!
sounds like good times at casa del baino :)
ReplyDeleteOhhhh....sooooo........huuuuungrrrryyyy!
ReplyDeleteI am drooling as I type and I might have to go for lunch, even though it is only 10:30am.
Comfort food - marmite on toast, obvioulsy, although beans on toast is up there.
'Twinings Irish Breakfast'? Heretic!
ReplyDeleteThe only true Irish Breakfast tea is made by Bewley's!
Oh dear ... will you shoot me if I tell you I'm no foodie - I like simple salads ... same for my fruit too, Would love to do a death by chocolate only it would be the death of me via migraine. Tsup*!*
ReplyDeleteNow you've made me hungry, mmm so many yummy things on the list. I think if anyone was stranded on an island with you they would have a pretty good host!
ReplyDeleteI love it Helen. I am 217 pounds and 5 feet tall and when I look at your list of food, mine would suck.
ReplyDeletePotato chips and then potato chips.
Love Renee xoxo
I have just come in from an eight km power walk, haven't had breakfast and then read THIS - it's exquisite torture!
ReplyDeletehells, it's been a crazed non-stop time at my place but i'll be in touch soon, by blog and email.
ReplyDeleteokay!!!
Your list reads like a gourmet menu compared to my lifestyle. I'm not much of a cook and my budget is less than shoestring some weeks, so foods around here tend towards baked beans on toast, sausages with onion gravy and mashed potatoes, home made soups, (the canned stuff is awful), and pizza, where we buy a ready made base and add our own choice of toppings. Chips are always a favourite.
ReplyDeleteAnd roast dinners,(Some call them baked dinners), where everything is put into the oven on a slow heat and forgotten about until dinnertime. Yum. With greens and gravy it's the easiest option.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm suffering from the feeling that I am a totally inadequate cook. First I read another blog where someone just made delicious strawberry jam and now your culinary list.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to sit in a corner and cry for a bit now. Although I do make a mean tomatosauce *sniff*
What weird food! That's all gourmet except for the fish paste! At least we don't have 'baconaisse' whatever that is and cheese in a tube! Fwoooar. Now Otin, don't tell me you don't like brie and mangoes and crusty bread.
ReplyDeleteActually Alan I think a banana is the wonder food!
Explains my not so silf-like figure I guess Brian. I am a foodie!
hehe . . . I made it up I think iBeati . . probably a gazillion others did before me!
Nothing like a long lunch in the sun Grannymar and now is the time of year to do it. Few flies, warm days and I'm planning a few soirees at mine!
Haha . . I could go on Ribbon . . and on . . and on . . .
Cute meme isn't it Miladysa, We haven't got tot he professional side yet. Just in the middle of a 'celebrity' cook-off which is fun. I get bored with the day to day but I do enjoy entertaining.
Certainly Wuffa, there's plenty to share!
Beans on toast . . can't beat it really. Healthy, hearty . . yummy. Of course any self-respecting Australian would only eat vegemite on toast.
Bimbimbie *tsup-tsup* that's why you're such a slim and gorgeous thing! Wish I could resist. Really. Actually, I'm not much of a sweet/dessert eater despite my posting sweet treats, I could easily go another entree for dessert. Shame about the chocolate. "Chocolate by the Bald Man" has just opened near us . . to die for if you love it.
Hehe . . shame mangoes are seasonal Rowe! I'll have to replace them with bananas during the winter months! I don't like bananas.
Sorry Plugger . . and you're a very good girl for power walking. Clare's just taken the dog for a run and I've hit the computer . . *sigh* I will go with her soon but I broke my toe last week and it's still a bit sore . . my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
No worries kj. Life gets like that!
River I was lucky. My mother was an excellent cook and when she went back to work at 40, I was left in charge of the kitchen. Believe me, in those days I could even make Spam taste good! She taught me a lot about the basics though and I'm very grateful. Like I said, very simple cook. Mostly I cook things in one pan. Aww Adam and I love a Sunday Roast but Clare's not fussed. Usually have them in Winter quite regularly but I can't get my pumpkin to hold shape.
Where there's a will there's a way Carolina. . . I can't for the life of me make a Dutch Croquette! Or that yummy unpronouncable potatoe thing you folks make.
Try putting the pumpkin in about halfway through the cooking, or even three quarters through. It cooks quickly then becomes a soft shapeless lump, so when you look at the spuds and say to yourself "hmm another 20-30 minutes", that's the time to put the pumpkin in.
ReplyDeleteOh LORD I'm hungry. LOL
ReplyDeleteI am MOST CERTAINLY hungry now!!
ReplyDeleteI should like to try a vichyssoise...sounds good...
I share your love for Twinings Irish Breakfast tea...have not had a cup in awhile...think I will grab some THIS week at market...it has turned quite chilly...
I've only read this three times, and ogled the mental pictures it conjured. Does that make me a food pervert?
ReplyDeleteI love mince pies and cold custard...
ReplyDeleteor even better pies of whatever (sweet) type with vanilla icecream... yumm!
Thanks River I'll give it a go.
ReplyDeleteWell at least it's virtual hunger Suze, you won't get fat reading.
Jill Vichyssoise is traditionally served cold. I prefer it hot with pepper and crusty bread . .very easy to make. I had to dash out at 11pm last night to get tea! Just can't start my day without it.
So do I Gleds but nobody else in my family likes them.
I wish that we were on the same time schedule, maybe I will move to Australia! :)
ReplyDeletei am getting skype. get ready girlfriend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great meme that one!I like everything too!Everything from the sea!And I'm with you on the salmon,my favorite!I'm starving now!:)
ReplyDeleteSo ready for my lunch now after all that :-)
ReplyDeleteTsup*!* you've got me laughing here ... "chocolate by the bald man" not heard of him ... although I do get some chocolate from my own semi bald man ;)
ReplyDeleteWould you pop me some of your Thai chicken curry in the post....?
ReplyDeleteMy friend Marilyn gave me a jar of green curry paste and it was revolting... way over-strong and full of vomitational PRAWN flavouring!
LOL
ReplyDeleteI can't either ánd I will be lying awake all night now trying to think of what the hell this potatoe dish you are talking about could be. Thanks for that ;-)
You only come to my blog to hear me say "What the Fuck"??? I am hurt!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding!!! LOL!
I think Blogger must've eaten my comment. The comments are certainly colourful, particularly the green curry paste with prawn flavouring...I'm working hard not to imagine what that looked like...
ReplyDeleteRegarding your comment to me, thanks.I have in fact been to Paris. I turned fourteen there...It is one of those places one can visit or live in and discover anew every day.
e makes me realise that the look of food is important too. If a plateful of food looks too synthetic or greasy or stodgy, I don't want to even touch it. But some meals look so crisp and tasty and tangy I can't eat them fast enough....
ReplyDeleteVichyssoise? Isn't that a wine? Or a type of bed covering? Or a long loose dress with puff sleeves?
Sorry Leah missed you there . . . isn't virtual food unsatisfying?
ReplyDeleteOtin . .it's 24 hours jet lag . .deal!
Ready and waiting kj . .do you sound like a female version of John Kennedy?
Go for it Candie, give us the French connection!
Are you poppet? I need to broaden my vegetarian range to impress you I think
Hehe . . that's the plan Bimbimbie . .I can't remember his name but he has a couple of 'establishments' around Sydney where the desserts are unnaturally, migraine inducing chocolatey
Honey I would but you NEVER read your emails. All Thai meaty dishes have dried shrimp or fish sauce in them. Thai is an acquired taste if all you're used to is Indian or a 'three in one'
Carolina I'll try to find it. I have a Dutch friend and it's yummilicious shredded potatoey crispy goodness. But I can't for the life of me remember the name., She's from Delft if that's any help.
Otin, this is not a chat thread! Email me and we can argue offline . . and yes, you're a dag in your Italy T shirt . .my kind of man but don't tell your partner. Our little secret right?
Aww really e? Bloody blogger does that sometimes. Thai? You don't eat Thai? Pretty awesome except for the coriander bits. I hate coriander. Oh for fuck's sakes, everyone's been to Paris except me!
Nick that's my speciality. Making food look good on a plate even if it's basic. Excuse me I need to go and have a glass of Vichyssoise whilst wearing my Vichyssoise frock. . . .There's a Monty Pythonesque song in there somewhere if only I can be bothered
That's enough now . .comments closed . .it's Thursday night for goodness sakes.