The New Friday Night

The New Friday Night is very new indeed. Four years have passed in a blink of an eye, and not a single part of me misses the drunken dancing and late Easy-Mac that was so typical of said night.

Tonight we decided to relax (we have a lot of cleaning to do, and by electing 'relax' as an option we feel much less lazy). I whipped up a simple but lovely dinner - Cauliflower Mash, served with Tender Beef Kebabs and a Tomato and Mustard Pickle Relish. I know most people are turned off at the mere mention of cauliflower, but after years of sneaking veggies into my mum's (yes, my mum's!) food, this has proven quite popular. It adds a creamy and smooth dimension to the ordinary mash potato, and works really well in place of milk or cream.

The relish is quite lovely too, I make it on the spot with sweet mustard pickle, a little bit of melted butter and two fresh tomatoes, diced and added to the pan. I cook it off until it is of a desired texture and add the jus from my meat pan. This bleeds into the mash so beautifully and creates a textural wonderland.

All in all, it's quick and easy; but this simple and flavourful dinner really hits the spot on a windy, pre-stormy night. It's also super cheap - four serves for $10.50 (that's just over $2.60/serve), and before I forget, I must say that although the meal is nothing special, the half naked Mr. holding the dish sure is!

I've not made dessert yet as I'm missing the vital ingredient of carrot cake, however, my darling Mr is saving the day with a last minute dash to Woolworths. You see I'm going to attempt Not Quite Nigella's Carrot Cake Ice Cream - mmmmmm divine. We can't wait to try it and if all goes well, I might just make my own carrot cake from scratch!

Oh and on another note - a fishy one; I was duped into buying bulk Greenseas Tuna (it's on special at Woolworths 12 for $12) and have now found myself thinking of things to make. I made a delicious, but ugly Tuna, Avocado, Cream Cheese and Sweet Chilli Toasted Club Sandwhich for lunch today, but was hoping to make a more enticing dish.

Any suggestions?

Shanghai Nights

Today I decided I would blog and what a great day it was to start.

With Christmas presents collecting dust, my friend and I decided it was about time we met up for dinner, social lubrication and exchange of aforementioned presents.

Only problem was that on this particular day of the week we found ourselves with no more than $25 to each of our names and with a horrible, stomach-stabbing ache for China Town Dumplings.

We came to terms with it, it wasn't going to happen. Then, realisation struck - We live near Eastwood! Quickly I researched where would be the best place to go. I consulted some of my Chinese, Indonesian and Korean friends and they all recommended dodgy-looking eateries, promising that they are cheap and fantastic - however I could not go past the buzz and look of the Taste of Shanghai, 200 Rowe Street, Eastwood.

We approached with caution, (most crowded places do not like it when patrons arrive with sleeping babies in monster strollers) - there was no problem, we were shown to a table with sufficient space to tuck the stroller near the wall, leaving us plenty of room to move and sit comfortably. The waiter quickly and thoroughly wiped down our table and handed us a menu to share (everyone else in the restaurant appeared to have their own, but we had to share one between three - not sure why.) - The restaurant looked pretty and simple from the outside and was fairly basic and neat on the inside, nothing fancy - except for the fantastic, glass enclosed 'open' kitchen. (I love being able to see the prep.)

We were served tea and set up almost instantly, but had to wait for a good 10-15minutes before anyone came to take our order. After stretching our necks and actively trying to get someone’s attention, a waitress rushed over.

We ordered a number 5 - Shrimp and Pork Mini Wonton Soup 16pcs $8.50, a number 8 - Hand made shallot pancake 4pcs $7.80, a number 9 - Pan fried Big Wontons 12pcs $11.80, a number 26 - Warm Soy Bean Milk $3.00, a number 29 - Egg Pancake with dough stick $5.80, a number 31- Steamed Silver-Thread Loaf 2pcs $6.80 and last but not least, a number 152. Gai-Lan with Garlic $12.80.

Shortly after ordering (within 5 minutes) food started pouring out of the kitchen and piling up on our tables. The tables are small, crowded with a box of tissues (which indeed were a Godsend) and a tray of sauces (also very well appreciated) but we managed to fit everything on.

First to arrive was the Warm Soy Bean Milk - possibly the best thing to start off with, as it meant that we got it out of the way. This was basically a bowl of micro-waved soy milk. Not horrible, but not something we would order again. The table agreed that it was missing something. Honey, perhaps? And considering the waitress told us it was dessert - we were left slightly confused as to a) why it wasn't sweet, and b) why it was brought out first.

We set this aside and made room for the fast arriving dishes. We tucked in to the Egg Pancake - this was basically a 'churro' (South American/Spanish doughnut like log), wrapped in a very thin egg pancake, and then wrapped again in a thin pastry-like-pancake. This was very yummy, but oily and one piece was definitely enough.

We tucked into the Shallot Pancakes with and without soy sauce. Perfect. These were crisp and golden on the outside, then moist and rich on the inside. Definitely a favourite with the table, I especially enjoyed them with the soy.

Then, what we had come for, DUMPLINGS!!! - We ordered Pan Fried Wontons and Boiled Mini-Wontons in soup. Both were amazing. The Pan Fried variety was crisp on one side, perfectly tender on the other, and soft and juicy in the middle. The Mini-Wontons came floating in the most amazing broth; I could eat it for days and can still taste it now. There is still a party in my mouth and I can't wait to go back.

The greens in garlic (Gai Lan) - were also fantastic. Crispy, fresh, perfectly seasoned - another favourite with the table.

Last but not least, (and by far, the most surprising) were the Steamed Silver thread Loaves. These were like two little buns of pure heaven. The fall-apart buns were perfectly teamed with soft and gooey Condensed Milk dipping sauce. This was the most perfect dessert- not overly sweet, but a great end note considering the rich, salty dishes we had the pleasure of devouring.

We left satisfied but in not in pain - a sign that the food was enjoyed, not endured.

We will definitely return, and for $22.00 a head (which included 3 tea refills and 3 Sprites) you really can't go wrong.

And on another note (and an off one at that), Karaoke on Hillview Road was a fun way to top-off the night. At $35 an hour it was fairly reasonable and we certainly got our giggles out!