Food & Class & a little of Melbourne

I tend to update blog abit slow, as work and studies takes a large chunk of my time and stuff just keeps piling up on me just like last time when i was working in events. Its really like last time where I totally have no life at all and is just bound to working. This time, its more to working and studying and housework. No more mommy to help me do my laundry and cleaning up the house is a must!.

So, Andre and I made some grilled and he showed me how to do it and I just did it. It is sooo crazily easy.

Grilled Chicken!
Salt and pepper for seasoning, I use black pepper, and then add some other powdered seasoning, cajun, herbs, etc etc.. Depending what you would wanna taste. I added some peri peri seasoning and some chilli powder to give me some kick in the tastebuds..

Shallow fry skin first. Depending how u like the skin, soft and soggy, or crunchy and burnt. Decide on the timing and then flip it over. I like mine crunchy, thats where the taste comes from, so I let it burn a little before flipping it over. Cook for a few mins, and place it on the oven tray.

Add some water to the frying pan and scrape the burnt spices, that will be the sauce. Cook it a little then pour it on the tray. Cut some potatoes or carrots place on the tray and then pop it in the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 mins. And you'll end up with this.. You must pre heat the oven first tho. A cold oven cant cook.



Practical Class!! (involving cooking!!)
So last weeks practical class was boring. Practical class is always on Saturday. Demo is on Thursday. For last weeks practical we just cut some carrots and made salad. Boring stuff. This week, we get to cook chicken and fish. I didnt get to snap that many pics cause my whole station was full of knives. Didnt want to risk cutting my self again. I cut my self while putting my knives away last week. This week, I made a deeper cut on my finger while washing my knife. And it was a turning knife that cut me. This knife's blade is no longer then 2 inches.. and it curves at the tip. Note to self: DO NOT underestimate the tiny knives. It made a deep cut where blood just gushes out non stop, even if u wash it or wipe it down.

There is a saying from Andre, :- To be a good chef, your knives need your blood to create a bond.

Anyways, here is the fillet trout which the lecturer cooked up for us to see on Thursday. Mine was nothing like that.. My fish was messed up because I cant fillet it right.


Then we get to taste the food!

Me and my cute cooking partner named Gib and shes from Thailand (pic below) finished early. So both of us was cleaning the kitchen arranging the pots and pans while the rest cooked.


So while everyone was cleaning up, there left a few people that had to present their dessert to the lecturer, I managed to get a picture of her. Shes from Thai, and her name is Om


So then one of the Korean guys was snapping my picture and Om's picture, then I had the idea to snap a few pics while we were waiting for class to be over with.

Sa-Vit from Thailand

Waiting to leave class


I forgot their name.. >.< So this is the bridge where i use everyday to go to the city and back home. The speed limit for the whole damn bridge is 60kms! If there is any people working on the sides of the bridge (and this happens ALOT!), the speed is 40kms! FRIGGIN 40kms!! This is called the West Gate Bridge, the ONLY way connecting to the Western suburbs, well the only way that I know of. So practically, every morning, at 7am, the bridge is slow moving, and the highway before that is packed at a bumper to bumper crawl to the bridge..

Lunch, Dessert, Dinner All in one!

Yea, I got caught up in little things that made life here a little complicated. I finally transferred out the pictures of food stored in my cam! Get ready for some mouth watering pictures!

Lunch I made one fine day that i wasnt lazy.

Cream Tuna Pasta


The pics arent all that great, was hungry! hahah.. I got this recipe from Vivian actually, my sis in law.. Onions, garlic, tuna and cream. Thats all you need. To cook it, stir fry the onions, and garlic, then throw in the tuna, add chilli powder if u want to have a zing, then throw the cream in, then dump the pasta in and your done! Then add salt and herbs to taste.


Dessert

I had fun with this part. It was the spur of the moment thing where my brother (Andre) wants to do something sweet. Choux pastry. We had fun with it! Dont ask me the ingredients, cause I dont know. I just know how to eat it. Google it =)

So the process of making it was fun, I got that captured!


Heres the muscle man mixing the pastry, it looks easy, but its not.. Really tough bugger, the flour.


Look at the texture of it! Its really sticky.


This picture totally violates the OHS (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation). We didnt have the tuber, so we used plastic bags..

We violated another heath regulation in the next picture..


Next to the trash! loll


So its all full, and now we make a hole!


Then it started leaking from the other side, because the hole was too big. So we had to take it out and use spoons. Why didnt we think of that earlier..




Then, serve it!


Happy family!




Dinner

K The dinner will be short, because, I just cut the meat, the soup was made by Vivian. We had a Szechuan hot pot thing. =), so u guys know im not going hungry here =P im putting on weight!!!



Oh yea, and i cut my hair! =)

ORIENTATION DAY!!

Yep, so today was the orientation day at the college, loads of internationals, I used to pity those that were studying abroad because its simply not your "home". Now im one of them. Yep, self pity! But of course, I feel bad for those who comes from further away, and is not really good at English, because everywhere you go in Melbourne, its all English. Im doing ok, I can blend in, I just get lost in the streets and have to ask my way back. But what about those who got lost, and had trouble communicating where they want to go?

Ok, so I wont complain =P. BUT the only thing I will complain is the carpark charges! Bloody Aud11 for the wholeday if i come in by 10am. But its good, my classes start by 750am next week.

After the orientation, its time to head home, but I walked passed the busiest street in Melb and i heard music that just is soo sweet to my ears. House music with a "ZING!"

See that bloke there with the pipe? I dont know what it is, but, it adds a good beat to the house music that was being played. Something like a remix! I just had to stop, take my cam, and snap a pic while carrying tons of textbooks which I collected. It is just so awesome!

When I reach the carpark, I realize that I had another problem, I had to drive home when there are more traffic and more cars in the city at 3pm. I encountered a problem where Im at a traffic light, and its a traffic light to fit 1 car. The next street is the street with trams. There is a sign on my left which I do not really understand. It says something like only these types of vehicles not permitted. And its a letter. How do I know what type of vehicle am I on? Im in a CAR! C-A-R!!

So a trucked turned, and I follower suit. Then I start looking around, shit! Taxis, trucks, but no normal cars! So, I think my "type" of vehicle is not allowed, and I panicked!, I started to look for other exits. I got out, then the GPS tells me to make a right turn. OMG! The bloody "HOOK TURN" So I panicked again. But when I saw the familiar highway heading home after driving for 10 mins, I was RELIEVED!

So I reached home safely, my body still intact, my heart pumping at a normal rate, then I got excited!! I HAD to put on my uniform!


Then i had to go "WILD" with the pineapple!


So I guess, this is the start of my journey. All I can say is "Wow, its really happening.."

Pan Fried Salmon With Cajun Spice

Home Cooked Lunch
I learnt from my brother to always balance out a meal. Always add some veggies with any form of meat, whether it be fish, chicken, or beef. You MUST have greens to have a well balanced meal. If this meal is not filling, you can always add some carbo with it. E.g rice or bread. Since this meal is not to say a very chinese meal, I like to have wholemeal bread with butter together with this meal. Mouth watering eh?

To pan fry a salmon is easy, you can marinate it with any spice you want, then fry it skin down first. Let it burn a little then flip it over, and then cook it to your liking. I like my salmon raw, gives it color and to have it juicier!

Introduction

So my classes will start on the April 19 2010, and having a certified chef at home (my brother) is awesome! Not only he can assist me in the assignments that I will be having, I get to eat good tasty home cooked food, which is not bland and tasteless (some men just cant cook!). Most of the food my brothers cooking, is juicy, and is really pleasing to the taste buds. But of course, some foods, like the chicken curry, back at home, it always taste better when mom cooks it. Well, I'm excited to get my experiments on food going, and blogging it at the same time. Thanks to mama Ruk ;), now I have a place where I can store my journey of making awesome food!