Food

Trying a little tenderness.

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The man of the house cooked steak with Diane sauce for dinner tonight.
It was delicious.

LMC didn’t like it though. Her face screwed up and she very expressively said, “Ugh!”
She scraped the sauce off her steak with a very serious look on her face: there was no way she was going to leave any of that behind. She then ate the rest of her meal quite happily.

We adults were chatting happily as we ate, and then I realised what she was doing.
As she extracted each pea from the sauce, she said to it gently, “I’ll save you!”
Then she carefully rolled each pea around the plate to get the sauce off before she ate it.

After a while, I said to her, “Any talking to your vegetables should be done in your head.”
Silently, she continued the ritual until all the peas were gone and only the gravy remained.

It really was cute and funny. especially as she’s not usually so sentimental when it comes to her food.
I guess next time we’ll just give her the steak without the sauce.

Dining ‘al fresco’ in Oakleigh.

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It’s noisy. There’s a general cacophony of people talking and laughing and the clatter of cups, plates and cutlery. Numerous cafes and restaurants, small shops, and several bakeries selling traditional Greek cakes and pastries line the street. The luscious aromas of coffee and souvlaki meats waft in the open air, interrupted from time to time by an acrid whiff of cigarette smoke from a diner at an open-air table. Smoking anywhere in public seems so out of place these days.

A well-dressed woman walks by, her expensive perfume lingering in the air after her. I wonder how much fragrance one needs to apply in order to have that effect.

The service is not terribly quick here, but I think that is related to how Greeks view eating and mealtimes: it’s about enjoying food, sharing conversation and spending time together.

In time, our meals arrive. Freshly prepared, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I enjoy every mouthful, but I am glad I didn’t order anything more.

Sated, I walk away enjoying the light breeze and the sunshine on my shoulders.

Birthday blessings.

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It’s my birthday today. I am happy to put it on the record that I have had a fabulous day.

Many people who share my life in one way or another have sent me birthday wishes via Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
Even more than their birthday wishes, I am very thankful for the friendship and the love and encouragement each of them give me every other day of the year. Each of them is a blessing to me and i am very thankful for them.

I have also been able to spend time talking with my special Canadians. That time I spend with them is precious to me every day. Today is no different in that regard, but it was very special that they wished me love and happiness when they are so involved in giving me both.

My birthday started with bacon, eggs and hollandaise on toast, cooked by the resident Masterchef, Fred. It was sensational. 

I was blessed with a number of gifts that were not only very beautiful but incredibly meaningful to me. I am so thankful for the love and thoughtfulness that went into the selection and giving of each of them.

I have three bouquets of beautiful flowers – roses on the dining table, and two mixed bouquets on my desk. They are all so sweet and lovely, yet not so highly fragrant that they will give me a headache.

I had an afternoon sleep. Not just a quick nap to keep me going. Two hours of completely zonked-out sleep, and no feelings of guilt when I woke up because all my school work was finished on Friday afternoon.

My house smelled SO freakin’ good leading up to dinner.
In our house, you get to request whatever you want for dinner. I asked for Indian food. Fred and Lynne-Maree cooked butter chicken, garlic naan, and onion bajhi. I can’t describe how good it tasted. Divine, in fact.

For dessert, there was lemon meringue pie from my favourite bakery.  I was so excited about this. It is by far the best LMP to ever exist,  It should come with a warning, though – it will spoil you for every other LMP that you will have the privilege to enjoy.
The velvety, tangy-sweet pie melted in my mouth, its rich lemony-goodness delivering the most delightful foodgasmic pleasure.

Tonight it’s time to relax: chatting with friends, spending time with my man, enjoying one of my few favourite TV shows.

It’s wonderful to be loved, spoilt with gifts and special treats. It’s so good be able to enjoy the rest and relaxation I’ve earned in the crazy-busy rush to meet all my work deadlines of the past few weeks.

It has definitely been a special day for Princess Me.

 

 

 

Hard Rock Cafe

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There are any number of places to eat along Hollywood Blvd.
We went into one place that looked great after looking at the menu outside, but we couldn’t stay there because the music was so loud I couldn’t stand it.

We quickly chose to go to the Hard Rock Cafe partly because it’s iconic, partly because we know the food is good, and partly because every time I see the sign, Carole King tells me to.

Our experience there wasn’t quite as outstanding as it was at Hard Rock Niagara Falls, but it was still pretty darned good. Delicious food, fantastic music, and good, quick service.

Aces.

At The Gym

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I’ve often joked that I would like to buy a pub, name it ‘The Gym’ and post regularly on Facebook that I was working hard at the Gym.
The guy who owns the Gym Sportsbar on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood has done exactly that. It’s genius, really.

‘Happy hour’ is from 4 til 8 each day, and most drinks are 2 for 1.
You can enjoy your drink and watch your choice of sports, or play darts, or just chat with the other patrons.
The locals and staff are all really friendly, and by the second time there we felt almost like locals.
It’s actually really nice to see that the guys who work at this bar get along really well and choose to hang out there and play darts or watch sports even when they aren’t actually working.

When you get hungry, Five Guys is right next door and they gladly and frequently deliver. Those burgers are really, really good: not greasy at all and the salad was super fresh.

When visiting the Hollywood area, lots of people like to go to the bars, clubs and restaurants frequented by the rich and famous in the hope of seeing or meeting celebrities.
If, like me, that’s not your style, The Gym Sportsbar is a pretty cool place to spend some time and enjoy getting to know some of the West Hollywood community.

American Diner #2

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Diner 66 on Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is super cool.
There’s lots of neon lighting, retro-styled waitresses, a Classic American style menu, and great rock’n’roll playing on the jukebox.
The service is quick and friendly, and the food is good. The chili chese fries are a must if you visit here: it’s worth having those as a starter and ordering a 66 Burger without any sides, or even just having them as your meal. They are sensational.
This was a fantastic Route 66 dining experience. I absolutely loved it.

Albuquerque’s Old Town.

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Albuquerque was established in 1706 as an important south-western outpost.
Some of the town’s early character and Native American influence has been maintained in the “old town” sector. The streets surrounding the old town square are home to shops, restaurants, museums and galleries. Most of the buildings are stucco and painted in assorted shades of terracotta, yellow and brown with accents usually in white or turquoise.

There is some beautiful jewellery and artwork created by Navajo and Zuni artisans for sale at quite reasonable prices. There are also some more individual pieces that are more expensive and unique, for those with a budget that allows them to be more discerning. Of course, there are also the cheap, junky “souvenirs” that come from assorted places across the seas.
It’s true enough that, as the saying goes, there is always something for everyone.

I refuse to come to a place like this and buy things that come from someplace else. For me, it’s important to support the economy and people of the local area. I want to take home something that has something of the character of the place I have visited.

The old town of Albuquerque has plenty of character. The people are very friendly and apparently don’t have many Australians visiting here. They were all very enthusiastic about our “cool accent”.
The shops are all quite different even though they sell similar types of things.

The Church of San Felipe de Neri is prominent in this part of town. It has been beautifully maintained and still operates as a working church. It offers visitors a place for prayer or reflection as well as the freedom to take photographs as long as it’s done respectfully.

The restaurants offer mostly Mexican food, as is only to be expected. We had lunch at Hacienda del Rio. The decor was very attractive and the restaurant was clean and well maintained. Tables did not remain messy for very long at all.
The waiter was very friendly and attentive. In response to my food allergies, the chef was more than happy to create my meal using only wheaten tortillas and no corn at all. I had a chicken fajita salad in a crispy tortilla bowl. The salad was fresh and crisp; the chicken and the salsa were both feisty. The combination was sensational.
We also had sopapilla – a warm, dense bread eaten with warm honey. I had never had that before, but really enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day I spent in this part of town. I will leave Albuquerque with some very happy recollections as well as some beautiful locally crafted souvenirs.

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