Variations Sur Le Meme Theme

Two new CDs this week, both on a similar theme, both brilliant: Travelling: French Actors Crossing Borders, and So Frenchy So Chic, The unofficial soundtrack to the 2007 French Film Festival.

After a futile online search attempting to download Avant La Haine, the ridiculously beautiful, truthful song I fell in love with from Dans Paris, I came across this CD. While I have many of the songs already, it is such a cute idea to compile the vocal gems of some great French actors, past and present. Plus it has Avant La Haine, and a bunch of other lovelies, like Helena Noguerra's adorable version of Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head.

I've never been into these local compilations but hearing some of the songs before each movie of the French film festival this year had me hooked. It's a double CD of mostly unknown songs (to me) and very perfect for drives or Sunday afternoon downtime. Particularly loving the simple L'Autre Bout du Monde by Emily Loiseau and Mansfield Tya's Pour Oublier Je Dors.

And I can't wait for Carla Bruni's new CD - love the artwork on the cover alone.

Orange Vanilla Cupcakes With Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

The process: before yoga, have healthy dinner at Japanese place near the studio. After finishing meal, realise wallet is at home. Apologise profusely to shy Japanese waitress, throw anything of meaning still in bag at her (driver's license, Amex) and hotfoot it home to get cash. Miss yoga. Almost run out of petrol. Drive back home totally un-zen and decide to bake cupcakes.

Orange Vanilla Cupcakes
1.5 cups plain flour
3/4 Ts baking powder
Pinch of salt
125 g butter, softened
1 ts vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon orange juice or pure orange essence
1/2 Ts orange zest
3/4 cup milk

Orange Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
150g cream cheese, softened *not extra light Philly, as I made the mistake of doing*
60g butter
1 ts orange juice or pure orange essence
1 ts vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
Pods of 1 vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 170C. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter until pale, add the sugar and beat until incorporated and fluffy. Add eggs and continue mixing. Add vanilla extract, orange zest and juice/essence. Add milk and flour mixture in alternate amounts and beat on low speed until combined. Spoon into cupcake liners until 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter. Add the remaining ingredients and beat to combine. A drop of orange food colouring would look lovely. Refrigerate while the cupcakes cool, then pipe.

Yin

Loving pilates
Starting yoga
Learning about tantra
Meditating
White tea
Craving Asia instead of Europe

When did I become such a hippy?

Either way, that's just the way I like it.

Si

Just back from my first Spanish class. D and I are learning for our trip. Holy mother of god. I will not reinforce how hard it was because that doesn't help but fuck, it was hard. I thought it was a notch away from Italian. It's nothing like Italian. Yo vivo en Surry Hills, indeed.

And now I miss Italian, and wander if my little head can take Beginners Spanish with Level 3 Italian in the same week. I guess, what do I have to lose...

The Love Of My Life

Going to see Dylan Moran tonight. It feels like only yesterday I was part-LMAO, part-lusting after him and sending 'marry me' vibes at the last show, but it's been almost a year.

I would do very well with him. We'd laugh and be sarcastic and acerbic and bitter and smoke and drink together. I don't want much.

+++

He's so good, so surreal funny. I am still sending "marry me" vibes, even if it is clear he's very much the family man now, damn. Still drinking and smoking on stage - it's heart-warming to have these few constants in life.

I look forward to dinner at La Ricetta almost as much as the show. I think it could be my favourite Italian restaurant in Sydney. The food is so, so good and dare I say authentic - garlic prawns sizzling in perfumed oil with dense bread to mop up the goodness; my beloved gnocchi gorgonzola with cloud-light gnocchi, topped with cruncy pistachios. Kath's rabbit was gamey and saucey and perfect for the cool night. I really love this place.

+++

On deciding to order the garlic prawns for entree, Kath: "should we get some garlic bread?" Thanks for the best line of the night.

A Yin And Yang Weekend

One day sunny, hot and perfect.
The other grey, cold and comfy.

Gosh I ate well this weekend. Popotchki on Friday night - I always thought they were chicken belly buttons; a perfectly cooked goat's cheese omelette, thanks to Michel Roux's method; vodka penne; a drunken kebab that went down a treat; and meat and three veg for Sunday dinner.

And the weekend was exactly what I wanted. Perfect beach, although I won't make the mistake of taking a bus ever again. Voted for the party who this week still hadn't put their candidates up on their website. C's party with lots of dancing among yobbos and cocksucking DJs refusing to play Motley Crue. Food shopping at Fratelli Fresh and WBJ. Cooking to South Park. Doing homey stuff and actually enjoying it? A long nap. An extra hour of day. Watching the brilliant About A Boy.

***

I am now addicted to my Shuffle, and to podcasts. I'm avoiding the noise of the world by listening and learning with podcasts and opening my mind. $119 very well spent.

I'm Bringing Sexy Back

I grew up watching Rosanne, one of my all-time favourite shows (the old stuff, god knows what happened towards the end). And I grew up watching them moan over, shift around on their plate, and occassionally eat, meatloaf. It represented poor food, and secretly I really wanted to try it.

So, here I am on the weekend, relaxing with the latest and best-ever Gourmet Traveller, and I spot a recipe for meatloaf. And then mum reminded me that it's basically cucletki and I love cucletki, so it's meant to be.

It was delicious. Made with the best ingredients, wrapped in prosciutto and boiled eggs in the middle, it looked quite the glamour retro dish. And with a simple salad on the side, it made the perfect meat and three veg dinner.

Grey Goose Vodka Penne

Why do things by halves? And when it's the only vodka in the freezer, I'm justifying it with the "only cook with wine you would drink" principle.

I'd heard of this cult dish, but never tried it. How could it be, me, who could eat pasta every day. So I made it for D and I, and it was so good that I made more for Sunday lunch.

The ratio: 8 parts tomato passata, 2 parts vodka, 1 part heavy cream. I read recipes that called for a bevy of ingredients, but why bother - I stuck to the simplest and it was gorgeous. Cook passata and vodka for 20 minutes, until reduced and nicely concentrated. Add cream that has been left out of the fridge to come to room temperature, otherwise it will curdle when added to the sauce. Warm through, season, and add cooked penne. Grate or shave parmesan. Chopped chives were a nice touch.

Beyond good.

This Week

I have felt,
crazy mad
sad
empty
so confused
numb
anxious
annoyed
lonely in my bed
spiritual
hopeful
désespérée
I've hated the feelings this week
finally, a little peaceful

I have bought,
a Witchery cami
a Country Road cardigan and sweater
a French CD
hopefully a better vibrator than the last one

This weekend, I want to,
drink a beer
dance
sleep
meditate
learn something
wear high heels and flirt
try to resist my desperate desire to smoke
go back to who I am

Baked Eggs

I must admit, that when I first spotted the Bodum glasses, the simultaneous thought along with, oh, they are stunning, and oh, I must have, was, these look multi-purpose. And I love multi-purpose. Sure enough, with the double-walled goodness, these glasses can go in the oven up to 500C. So not only would they look gorgeous holding water, tea, cocktails, but they could also replace ramekins for mousses, souffles, anything layered, and my favourite, baked eggs.

The beauty is you can use whatever's in the fridge, and it's a breakfast-lunch-dinner-too tired to cook dish. And with these glasses, you can curl up on the couch - no plate required - with the final of Extras II, and tuck in, wishing the second series was as good as the first, but still in love with Ricky Gervais.

Baked Eggs
Baked eggs go so well with leaks, tomatoes, cheese, herbs, smoked fish, ham/prosciutto or leftover meat. Try using leftover mash, it's too good. My old staple: preheat oven to 175C. Butter a ramekin (or Bodum glass!). Saute a leek until soft and place the softened leeks on the bottom of the dish. Halve cherry tomatoes and pop on top. Add finely chopped herbs - chives, parsley - and a few blobs of goats cheese or a shaving of parmesan. Crack two eggs over the top and pour a little cream over the yolks. Season. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. A water bath is recommended but it does work without.

Another Step Closer To The Conran Life

My beautiful new glasses: Pavina from Bodum. Double walled. Ovensafe to 500C. The definition of cool.

Je vous trouve tres beau

I didn't plan on seeing this movie, but mum loved it so I bought myself a ticket. It was very sweet, nicely done. Michel Blanc is perfect.

And that's the French Film Festival for 2007. Eight movies - one which I loved (Toute la beaute du monde), one which was great fun (Prete-moi ta main), another enjoyable (Je vous trouve tres beau); the rest mostly forgettable. But I always love it, and the crowds were very enthusiastic. Till next year.

19 03 07

I ate sushi.
I went to meditation.
I came home and danced to loud music.
I cut myself a sort-of fringe.

A little calm, a little happy, a little sad, a little crazy

Itchy

If I had a choice of a month in Paris or three days in Thailand right now, I would choose Thailand. And this never happens.

I have a crazy itching for Asia, for dark humidity and sweat and curvaceous script and beer with condensation and overhead fans and the foreign.

I'm sure they have a cream for this itch, or I could scratch it. Is there anything worse than needing to run away while your feet are planted firmly on the ground?

Prete-moi ta main

Gold! Funny and Charlotte is as gorgeous as ever. I could watch her all day. I even clapped at the end of the movie along with everyone else, even though il n'y a rien de plus con que ca.

Stockholm Syndrome

Take a shot now this may be your last chance.

Happy Birthday Kath!

Love you dear sweet sister. May today be carbon neutral just for you.

Or at least more fun than this:

Oh. What A Night

I met the Italian to hear what he had to say, or to say goodbye or whatever. Actually I realise why I did it - because I recognised the good in him.

And it was actually nice. I didn't feel the creepiness, and we sat in the park under a blue dome sky and chatted. Sei bella. Your eyes.

He's the one person who understands my inner hippy, my inner crazy, my inner core. That's what he is. I could never be that person, but it was so nice to be, just for a few hours. I was that person in Noumea, I was that person for a few days in Paris, I was for a few hours tonight. And that's why I said goodbye and didn't have dinner with him, didn't prolong it, because I don't need anything more.

It's not often you can look in someone's eyes without blinking for a minute or more, or listen to someone speak honestly, from beyond the heart. It's not often you can lose yourself.

A Story In Pictures

I bumped ballet off because I couldn't be arsed and met S + S for a drink. It started off innocently......a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.....a good catch up......I had to get home for Extras but the wine was delicious and the company so good......and a stranger was giving us free shots...soon I was doing pirouettes......oops!......and we were posing for self-timed photos......ooh sexy theme......jazz hands theme......silly buggers par excellence......we almost made sexytime......and then we were ravenously hungry, so to Bar Reggio we went. People were waiting 1.5 hours for a table so I 'adjusted' my top and we were seated in 10 seconds flat......I flirted in Italian to our waiter who reminded me of Anthony Bourdain...and scoffed my delicious tortellini boscaola in record time...and one more sultry photo......before we headed home singing The Killers very loudly.

What a top night! Beats two hours of ballet anytime!

How Can I Live

...knowing that I will never own a piece of Kate Moss for Topshop?

I saw a preview today in Vogue UK and it's all brilliant. I want the keyhole dress and the suit with man-style pants and the little shorts.

And I loved her from day one. Go away everyone else.

Oh

The Italian called last night. Apologising, thinking I'd been scared off by something he told me about his past, when it didn't bother me. Reiterated what I texted him, and he reiterated that I've boulverseed him. Excuse the franglais. He was hoping we'd still have dinner, told him that wouldn't be right, but he wants to see me before he leaves on Saturday.

Obsession. It's funny being on the other side. The men I was obsessed with, maybe two, the pain is so strong but it's kind of beautiful. The heartache and tears are kind of nourishing. And the memory stays with you forever. The memory of the heart soaring, and also of the last time you see them.

Which is why I plan on looking fabulous if I do meet him for a coffee...

This Week

Can't Get Out Of My Head: Tits On The Radio, Scissor Sisters, via Toute La Beaute Du Monde.
Quotes: Kath - "oh, you and your dogs!" Me - "oh, you and your children!"
Excited: Francois Ozon's new film, Angel.
Voices In My Head: In French and Italian, English is a distant third.
A First: Hearing mum say 'cunt'.

Dans Paris

I loved the dancing on ecstacy scene, and there's Romain Duris' bottom. I thought the way his depression was portrayed was spot on. And I hate musicals but the je t'embrasse et ca passe sequence was beyond beautiful. See below. But it's classic European arty farty cinema and painful and pretentious much of the time.

Paul: Sais-tu ma belle que les amours, les plus brillants ternissent. Le sale soleil du jour le jour les soumets au supplice. J'ai une idée inattaquable pour éviter l'insupportable, avant la haine, avant les coups, de sifflet ou de fouet, avant la peine et le dégoût, brisons la s'il te plait.
Anna: Non je t'embrasse et ça passe, tu vois bien. On s'débarrasse pas de moi comme ça. Tu croyais pouvoir t'en sortir en me quittant sur l'heure du grand amour qui doit mourir, mais vois-tu je préfère, les tempêtes de l'inéluctable, à ta petite idée minable. Avant la haine, avant les coups, de sifflet ou de fouet, avant la peine et le dégoût, brisons la dis-tu.
Paul: Mais tu m'embrasses et ça passe, je vois bien. On s'débarrasse pas de toi comme ça. Je pourrais t'éviter le pire...
Anna: ...mais le meilleur est à venir.
Les deux: Avant la haine, avant les coups, de sifflet ou de fouet, avant la peine et le dégoût...
Paul: ...brisons la s'il te plaît.
Anna: Non, je t'embrasse et ça passe, tu vois bien.
Les deux: Avant la haine, avant les coups, de sifflet ou de fouet, avant la peine et le dégoût...
Anna: ...brisons la dis-tu.
Paul: Mais tu m'embrasses et ça passe, je vois bien. On s'débarrasse pas de toi comme ça.
Anna: On s'débarrasse pas de moi comme ça...

Ex-Boyfriend's Beef Stroganoff

Because it is the best beef stroganoff ever and because he finally gave me the recipe, so I don't want to forget it and neither should you. There are two key techniques with it, so look out for them.

A's Beef Stroganoff, serves 2-3
300-400g beef fillet*
1 brown onion
Bag of mushrooms
1 heaped ts tomato paste*
1/2-1 cup beef stock
1-2 ts Dijon mustard (Maille brand please)
Red wine (optional)
2 heaped Ts (lite) sour cream
Handful of chopped parsley

Thinly slice the onion and mushrooms. Heat a pan and in a little olive oil cook the beef as you would a steak. When cooked, remove and let the beef rest. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and a nob of butter and saute the onions. Make sure they don't burn. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two. Then add the mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the stock - if you want quite a lot of sauce add all the stock. When bubbling reduce the heat and simmer. Stir through the mustard. If you want a richer flavour add a goog glug of wine. Thinly slice the steak and add to the pan, along with any juices. Stir through the sour cream and finish with the parsley.
Serve with bowtie pasta.

* Do NOT use beef strips, unless you like the taste of cardboard. They are off-cuts of the worst meat. Use beef fillet, cook and slice instead, it's more expensive but juicy and tender.
* Whenever using tomato paste, always cook it off for a minute or two. It takes out that raw, 'seedy' taste and brings out the full flavour.

Vanilla Cupcakes With Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting

There'll always be cupcakes. Even when good dates turn krazy.

Remember malt? Mmm, malt goodness. I always paid the 5c extra for malt in my milkshakes, even though up until yesterday I really didn't know what malt is. Who cares, it's malty and all good.

I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe and topped it with plenty of buttercream frosting, which tastes like smooth creamy Malteasers.

NB: I don't think these cupcakes need decorating as the frosting is the *star* and there's something to be said for nice and simple. Also, leave them out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before you tuck in.

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes, makes 12
125g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
3/4 ts baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 ts vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter until soft. Add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the butter mixture. Beat again, then add the milk and vanilla and beat on low setting just until combined.
Spoon mixture into cupcake liners until 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting
125g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 Ts unsweetened cocoa powder
1 heaped Ts malt extract (available in supermarkets, or use malted milk powder - adjust the amount of icing sugar to taste)

Using electric beaters, cream the butter until pale, then add the sugar and cocoa until combined and fluffy. Add the malt extract and beat on a low setting. Once cupcakes are cooled, frost to your heart's content.

I Hate The Expression

But it's really a case of shitting where I eat.

I work with my ex-boyfriend.
I now have to avoid the deli I get my lunch from most days of the week, out of a very, very limited choice of places to eat.
At least my building is 99.9% gay so there's no chance of any trouble there.

Yippee fucking yi yo.

Coeurs

A French Short Cuts, which I loved, but this was not as successful. A bit too contrived. Comment dire 'contrived' in French?

I booked tickets for this on the sole mention of Alain Resnais, and then for Andre Dussollier, who makes me laugh.

You know when people say, especially older movie stars, that as children they'd forget their poor miserable childhoods by going to the movies and escaping for a few hours? The movies so far might not have been too impressive, but I get a real taste of that feeling everytime the lights dim (and the brilliant Peugeot ads come on). It's joy escaping into the darkness, and it feels like a real escape hearing the different languages. I think I need to allocate more time for the movies.

My Date

The night started off well. He borrowed a car for the night and took me to a fantastic pizza place. Oh yes what did I wear. Denim skirt, simple singlet and sandals. I have zero interest in dressing up; maybe with the last weeks of warm weather I'm channeling my inner hippy. It was all quite nice, laughs, feeling comfortable. And it was also intense; his texts during the week, what he was telling me about how he felt about me, destiny, chemistry. Rolling around in bed later on, at times feeling like we were a 60s Italian romantic comedy - "non e vero!" - the intensity continued, especially when I told him I didn't think he should spend the night. But this wasn't smitten. Smitten is cute. This was obsession. The fun was gone as he told me how he feels about me, how I don't share it, how he wants to see me every minute, how he'd fly anywhere around the world to see me at a moment's notice. What every girl wants to hear - after 4 hours. Telling him to cool down and enjoy himself - that we only just met - only fueled the difference he saw in our feelings for each other.

Woken by his text in the morning, on the phone later on I told him to look forward to his adventures, India, Thailand, who knows what else, but to him, "you don't understand Giulia, the adventure started last night". Nothing I could say could convince him. And after coming out of the movies last night, a long rambling text that creeped me out. So I replied to put a gentle end to this, and haven't heard back. I had a crap night last night, cigarette and Radiohead, an overwhelming sense of j'en ai marre. J'en ai marre of all this bullshit, of it all being so hard. Of feeling hunted. That's exactly it. I wanted to run away from everything and everyone last night. Christ I can't wait for Ibiza.

But this morning I feel good again. The beach (at it's most beautiful) soothed me yesterday and today I want to bake cupcakes with my beautiful nephew and not hear a peep out of my phone.

He said I was the femme fatale. Others have before and I used to think of myself back in the days when it was charming. It always used to be much more innocent. All the past and future...

Toute la beaute du monde/Quand j'etais chanteur

Toute la beaute du monde
I loved it. A travel story that so accutely translates my own feelings, L'auberge espagnole came to mind. Zoe Felix is incredibly beautiful.

Quand j'etais chanteur
I will always love Gerry, but it didn't quite work all the way. I love Cecile de France but she didn't convince me and her story was poorly executed. Smitten with the little goat.

Life As Radiohead Songs

For a minute there I lost myself/I'm a reasonable man get off my case/all my past and futures...

Date Tonight

With the Italian. Will report back.

French Film Festival 2007

Ah, the French Film Festival. Along with Good Food Month, my favourite time of the year. Packing as much new French cinema in as possible - which makes for some serious diary juggling and long days.

Tonight, Desaccord parfait and L'ivresse du pouvoir. First, a nothing-new comedy but enjoyable alone for the wonderfulness of Jean Rochefort and the sublime Charlotte Rampling (the black trenchcoat is worth the admission alone) - and Winston! The latter was long, tedious and hard work. Isabelle Huppert is beautiful to watch and so chic, but that's not enough to save our boredom.

Can I just say how much I am enjoying watching 'older' actresses and how beautiful and innately stylish they are, and how you can keep your teenybopper starlets who you can dress in all the couture you want and they remain blink-and-you'll-forget-em. I am in awe of these divine women - Charlotte Rampling, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench - they kick. arse.

The hair, the clothes, the shoes, the sass, the everything. Le sigh.

Hump Day Treats

For all the bobos out there, thanks to King Negrito (and check out his brilliant take).

A diamond in the rough of music clips, not surprisingly from the very clever Basement Jaxx. Hilarious.

Notes On A Scandal

Brilliant. Lately I've been forgetting movies the moment I walk out of the cinema, but this one had me coming back to it even this morning. Incredible script-writing that really closed in on women's emotions and thoughts, from the obsessional to the middle-class and "entitled". The acting was perfection from absolutely every body - Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Bill Nighy really blew me away - to that ideal state of making me feel I was peeking into the character's lives and not watching CB, JD et al doing their job. Chapeau, to everyone involved.

Mini Orange Syrup And Almond Cakes

Cupcakes are grand. But sometimes, mini is perfect. One last bite of summer.

Mini Orange Syrup And Almond Cakes, makes 24
3 eggs
110g sugar
100g almond meal
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 orange
1 ts baking powder
Orange Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Preheat oven to 170C. Beat the eggs and sugar until light. Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until combined. Pour mixture into mini cupcake tray lined with mini cake liners until 2/3 full. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden.
While cakes are baking, make the syrup. Combine syrup ingredients in a pot over low heat until the sugar has disolved, then increase heat slightly and boil until a thin syrup forms. This should take around 5 minutes - be careful not to let it boil away and become too thick as it will be hard to pour over the cakes.
Remove cakes from the oven and with a skewer prick the cakes 3-4 times to allow the syrup to sink through. Pour a little syrup over the top of the cakes. Wait until absorbed, then pour over any remaining syrup.

Goodbye Summer

It is a non-day, the last day of summer. Knowing there is grey and chill ahead makes me a little sad.

Summer needs a send-off. And I thought the most delicious way would be with the best summer food - fresh seafood, juicy fruits. And if February 28 was an overcast, autumnal day, fortunately the weekend was blue skies, bright hot sun perfection. A stunning backdrop for lunch.

Lunch is time for small bites - so, on the menu: oysters, lobster cakes and a layered prawn cocktail. So delicious, and easy to prepare en plus. Fresh, colourful, light - summer. And to drink? Reisling is ideal but Champagne or rose would be just as refreshing.

Lobster Cakes, makes 6 mini cakes
Lobster may be everyone's idea of luxury, but crab really is the sweeter, more succulent of the two. But picking crab is not my idea of fun! Lobster meat can be quite bland and tough, and so really works here with the fresh herbs and quick frying.
1 lobster, cooked
1 Ts mayonnaise
1 Ts breadcrumbs, plus extra breadcrumbs for coating
1 spring onion, finely sliced
Handful of coriander, chopped
Handful of chives and/or parsley, chopped
Dash of tobasco and worceshire sauces

Pick all the meat from the lobster, and dice finely. Add the rest of the ingredients (you may need more or less breadcrumbs, just until the mixture binds). Refrigerate for an hour.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs onto a flat plate or board. Wet hands, and shape lobster mixture into small patties. Roll into breadcrumbs and coat all side.
Heat some butter in a pan and cook lobster cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden.
Serve with wasabi mayonnaise or wedges of lime.

Layered Prawn Cocktail, makes 2
There are so many ways to serve a prawn cocktail, and my new stacking ring from The Essential Ingredient was itching to be tried out. Another way could be sang choi bow style, the prawns atop a perfect cos leaf.
200g cooked prawns
Half an avocado, diced
2 large cos lettuce leaves, sliced
Prawn cocktail sauce
1 Ts mayonnaise
1 ts ketchup
Dash of lime juice, worceshire and tobasco

Peel and dice the prawns. Mix sauce ingredients together and add to prawns. Take a stacking ring, and layer lettuce on the bottom, avocado in the middle and prawns on the top. Pack down quite tightly with each layer. Refrigerate for one hour (otherwise the stack will topple over!).
When ready to serve, transfer to the serving plate and carefully lift off the stacking ring.

Ideal Summer Dessert, for 2
Of all the desserts I could think of, fresh fruit and icecream was the only choice. It's pure summer. Chocolate is nice, but juicy mango is impossible to beat.
1 mango
1 peach
Handful of mint, finely sliced
Limoncello icecream, or your favourite summer flavour (coconut would be brilliant)

Pop two martini glasses in the freezer to chill. Finely dice the fruit and stir through the mint. Refrigerate for at least one hour. To serve, spoon the fruit into the martini glass and top with a scoop of icecream.

I Guess We'll Eventually Get Around To It

No rush guys, it's only Chanel.

Sydney, 1 March 2007

Not Afraid Of Romance

The young guy who works at the Italian deli we get lunch from most days (and who now have Prosciutto San Daniele - I am so excited! I have bought myself 100g to enjoy at the right moment) and I have had a kind of crush on each other the past few weeks. The first time he saw me, he did a very movie-like double take, and each subsequent visit yields a slight advance in mutual admiration. Why, yesterday he went as far as coming out of the kitchen for a cheeky "ciao, how are you?"

This morning he came in and gave me a bouquet of flowers, with a card saying "everytime I see you, you make me feel speechless. I'd love to meet up with you sometime soon...." Of course I was speechless, semi hungover from last night's bday drinks with D and J and completely redundant on how to react in these situations. I gave him a call, "no, it was the minimum I can do" - oh, I love English As A Second Language. A drink next week, very blown away.

Repeat to self: do not bring up the World Cup, do not bring up the World Cup...

Not All Martha

Thanks to Sarah, these Hermes boots have me swooning. I'll do anything for a pair. Yes, anything.

Happy Birthday D!

For someone who shares my love of cupcakes, the only thing to do was to drop off a couple of Sydney's most famous cupcakes at her work for a little surprise!

OK, and I got one too...

The verdict? Lovely to look at, and the barista was cute. The cupcake was more fluffly sponge than the denser, moist cupcake I like, so it didn't win me over. I declare mine better! But, I can't resist a (maraschino) cherry on top!