Wafting smells of a Sydney bakery and a reflection on the past

It’s been almost 2 months since I've left Sydney and it’s amazing how quickly time has flown by and how much has happened, both in the months and collectively over the years.

A reflection on the past

Back in 2010, I decided to leave home.  The decision didn't come easy as the familiarity and steady paycheck from a previous job provided comfort, but there was an inkling that had been kicking me for awhile.  It’s called, the TRAVEL BUG.

So I took action: researching options of where I would go, how I was going to go about it, and I took a leap of faith.  Not everything was planned, in fact, not much was planned like the rest of my life (finish college/university, intern, travel, work for a few years, save, etc.) so the idea of having so much flexibility was novel and quite nice.  I ended up in Sydney, Australia and the next thing you know, 2.5 years passed and today, I sit here writing upon these reflections.

It wasn't always an easy, breezy journey – in fact, they were some of the most trialing times but it’s these experiences that add to your character and who you are in the present day.  With me are memories that I’ll never forget, the times that I've shared with friends and much more.

Before leaving Sydney, I thought to myself, “What will I miss about the city?  Is it the breathtaking view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House? Is it the beaches with the cliff-side walks?  Is it being able to take public transport: the trains, the buses, the trams and the ferries?”  While I do miss all these, I found myself busy with a “MUST EAT BEFORE LEAVING” list.  One of those places was a local bakery in the Surry Hills neighborhood called BOURKE STREET BAKERY and it was certainly going to be a place I missed.

Ever since trying it for the first time, I knew I was going to be trouble.  And so began my regular trips down Bourke Street….

A friend of mine had gifted the Bourke Street Bakery book to me (more like a bible) and I was in awe, mouth agape and everything.  The pictures were all so beautifully taken, the layout, the stories, the recipes, I couldn't help but give the book a big hug (yes, I give attention to inanimate objects).  Anyhow, before leaving Australia, an idea popped into my head: I was going to get the guys at BSB to sign my book.

I wrote a love letter of appreciation telling them how much I thoroughly enjoyed the fluffy and delightful carrot cake that forever changed my life and the amazing-ness of their pork and fennel sausage rolls (among the other savory pastries) and how it was a joy to experience it flaking off so easily.  Just talking about this makes my mouth just water (yes, I am a nerd).

My e-mail bounced back.

I tried again and it bounced back again so I let it go.  Then, I refused to let it go and tried again (this time, I changed the subject line) and VOILÁ!

Pressed under time, I began to think that I wasn't going to get it in time and would need to get it shipped out, but everyone there was so accommodating and made it work so that I got it before I left.  Can we say WHEW?! FTW (For The Win)!!!

So a HUGE THANKS to Bourke Street Bakery for making it possible that I went back home with a signed copy of the book and for all the delicious treats and memories that will remain intact.

City2Surf 2012 - an excuse to fill up on carbs

Yes! It's happening alright; this Sunday, I'll be participating in City2Surf, one of the world's largest running events. It also happens to be on my list of things to do: enter a sporting event/race and finish it.  Mind you, I'll actually be walking with a group of folks from the studio where I work.  The streets here in Sydney will be jam packed as 80,000 people make their way from the city, in a 14km (8.7 miles) trek, to the infamous Bondi Beach.

In doing so, I decided to use this opportunity to raise funds for a not-for-profit (non-profit) organisation called Sustainable Table.  It uses "food as an entree to explore sustainability issues," and increases our "awareness of how today's industralised food system affects our environment."  By working together, we can help to overcome challenges, such as this one.

A BIG AND FLUFFY THANK YOU to those who have supported me for this cause! Especially you anonymous people I can't write a personal thank you to.  I will be thinking of you guys when I cross the finish line (which will probably be done in-style by dancing some Bachata in some silly 80s outfits).  So let's hope blue skies and the sun will emerge in time for Sunday.

And for those who would still like to donate, you can still do so by clicking here.  Cheers!

2012 Sydney edition of the Good Food and Wine Show

Last year, I went to the Good Food and Wine Show as a spectator.  This year, I was on the other side of the table working 2 days of the 3-day event (one of those days was reserved to see LADY GAGA!!) as a volunteer for the Chef's Table, which featured celebrity chefs Adrian Richardson, Anna Gare, and Miguel Maestre from the Lifestyle Food Channel.

During lunch, I did have a few moments to wander around the various stalls and stock up on some products as well as sampling some of the things that were being prepared.  

Most of the hours were spent in the kitchen and on the floor. Each of the chefs prepared 3 dishes - most had 2 savory and 1 sweet and the other chef had all savory plates.  Let's get down to the photos I snapped while I was in the kitchen, enjoy!

Avocado Carpaccio with Seared Scallops

Leek Tarte Tatin
(upside-down tart where the filling is caramelised first before baking)

Pork Sausage with a Soft, Herby, Cheesy Polenta

Choc Date Nut Torte (center, amazing!!!), Leek Tarte Tatin (upper right), Beetroot Cured Trout

Looking at these pictures is surely stimulating my appetite but it could also be that I'm posting this pre-lunch. If you're interested in getting the recipe from any of the above, let me know and I'll send them your way.  

A year abroad and a year without bananas

Excuse the cheese for a bit, but it's time for me to take a look back.

It's been a little over a year since I've left home, the city of Angels, and embarked on this journey called life.  My love for traveling and exploring more of this world has certainly been an eye-opening experience and that's what I love about it: I never stop learning.  It's through the problems and challenges we are faced with that each time that we are able to grow from them.

As Thanksgiving is a time to sit back, reflect, and give thanks, I do have to admit - I'm quite the fortunate person to have so many wonderful people in my life and for that, I am grateful.  When people ask, "what do you miss most?" I simply respond with my 3 F's: "Family, Friends, and Food."  The ongoing support that I receive is what holds me together.  Though I may be miles kilometres apart from some, there's no doubt in my mind that those relationships can still flourish.  Sometimes, it's as easy as picking up from where you last left off.

After being here in Sydney, Australia for quite some time, it was only within the recent months that I've felt at "home."  Home for me will always be LA but for right now, it's here.

Little could I predict the circumstances that were going to happen.  A year abroad over here nearly meant giving up something that was a part of my life everyday: BANANAS.  Yes, yes, (pause) I said bananas.

No frills, no glamour shots.  Just simple.

Okay, maybe not an entire year but still.  Eating and getting my daily potassium was not only tasty but also beneficial for my health.  When a major cyclone (Cyclone Yasi) hit northern Queensland, Australia, the crops were affected for a good amount of time.  People gave up bananas because they got too expensive averaging about $15AUD/kg (or about $7USD/lb).  But now the prices have finally returned to normal and I've eaten more than just a bunch.  Linda the Monkey has returned.

All things aside, I'm sitting in a park finishing this blog post on a rather beautiful and sunny day.  The cool breeze is blowing against my skin and I can't say how appreciative I am of my friends and family so thank you for everything, really.  Hopefully everyone is well rested and ready for the week!

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." - Margaret B. Runbeck

World Chef Showcase Re-cap Part II

It's been a whirlwind of a couple weeks and I realize that this is long overdue, oops.  When there aren't any deadlines to meet, this is what happens and my draft sat there waiting to be finished.  It became one of those to-do things you spend more time thinking about than the actual time that it would take to actually do it.

Moving on, sometimes I get people asking me, "Why do you volunteer?"  What they're trying to say and sometimes bluntly ask is, "Why do you work for free?"

Volunteering is not just an extracurricular activity in the past.  I'm not here to preach about it but rather, outline my experiences from it and share the outcome.  I volunteer to give back: whether it's for a certain cause, to give back to the community, or even simply just the passion for it.

Being a part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, especially the World Chef Showcase, was a truly remarkable experience I wouldn't trade for anything.  Hard work and long-hours (nothing compared to the staff who actually work the entire festival) was worth it and it became one of those reaffirming moments where I just knew that my involvement with the food community and culture was only just beginning.

A few months ago, I started reading MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures, then eventually went to MoVida Next Door for dinner in Melbourne.  Fast forward some time, then I was watching chef-author Frank Camorra give his demonstration on Spanish cuisine and working alongside the wonderful writer and TV producer Richard Cornish.  It's funny how things work out sometimes.

Others included:

• Alex Atala of D.O.M. in Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Francis Mallmann of Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Willie-the-chocolate-man-Harcourt Cooze of Willie's World Class Cacao in the U.K.
• Check out this video of him preparing a chocolate feast

Okay, no more name-dropping!  Wherever you guys live or if you're traveling to any of the places mentioned, I'd recommend to try the restaurants.  There's a reason why they were out here and chosen to represent various countries.  

Done and done.  

World Chef Showcase Re-cap Part I

A few weeks ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to volunteer for the World Chef Showcase for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.  It was the big 2 day kick-off event to the festival filled with chefs from different countries (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, the US, the UK, France, Sweden, and of course, Australia..just to name a few) giving demonstrations, tastings, and talks.  Here's a few of the chefs that I was able to meet up and work with and snap a quick photo with:

From top to bottom, left to right: David Lebovitz, Gaston Acurio, Ricardo Zarate, Adriano Zumbo (sorry Zumbo, I couldn't resist throwing in a silly face)

If you're an avid reader of food blogs (you know, apart from mine..), then you'll have to check out David Lebovitz: living the sweet life in Paris.

If you're a lover of ceviche and Peruvian food, then you'll need to:

• a) head over to Lima itself to check out Gaston Acurio's Astrid y Gaston (named one of the S. Pelligrino World's 50 Best Restaurant) and La Mar (also in SF and NYC for my readers)
• b) stay local for my Angelenos and head to Ricardo Zarate's Picca and Mo-Chica

If you've got a sweet tooth and are in Sydney, then stuff your face silly with some of Adriano Zumbo macarons and other pastries.  

WOW.  I am just full of (even more) links today!

But really, WOW!  Looking back and reflecting on the event and experience, I met and came across so many wonderful people that inspire me to continue growing and do more with this passion of mine.  There's more chefs and writers and people I want to mention but in keeping with my "short posts", I may have to save it for a Part II re-cap.

Until next time, enjoy Friday! 

Pre-festival: calling those in and around Sydney

T-minus 2 days until the Crave Sydney International Food Festival officially kicks off on Saturday, October 1st for the entire month.

This one is the BIG one of the year.   My expectations are high, I've been reading and following it for the past couple of months.  It sounds like a great event so I sit here blogging about my excitement as the month of October will be packed with food-filled events.  Here's a preview of what's to come:

Good news is, I've been fortunate enough to get involved and will be helping out with the World Chef Showcase.  Chefs from many parts of the world will be showing what goes on behind-the-scenes and this year's theme is across South America!!!

If you're in or near Sydney and a big foodie or simply want to attend, I would definitely recommend going to this event.  It sounds like one not to miss!  More to come from me later :)

Sydney Fish Markets

Hello blog, hello folks!

I know, I know...I've been M.I.A. for awhile so my apologies for the lack of posts.  It's nice to know that people are wondering when your next post is going to be, so thanks for that motivation and little reminder that I need to keep this updated.  It's been a busy couple of weeks but let's move forward as I've got some appetizing photos to share with you.

In the next couple of days, I'll start posting more regularly rather than having one major post.  Little tidbits are probably better for everyone so think of this as a small taste and nibble.

Below are some photos from the Sydney Fish Markets, a great catch (no pun intended...) for warm, sunny days to sit outside with your plate of fresh seafood:

Magazine covers that scream my name

I'm SO excited! That's all.  Have a lovely, delightful weekend!

Black and white photography set

After twiddling my thumbs for a couple weeks deciding what to write about next, it came to me last minute.  Back in June, I attended a Food Styling & Photography Workshop led by Dario Milano of Food Pixels.  He also holds regular food photography contests to challenge, inspire, and motivate us food bloggers/photographers/stylists.  Anyone can submit a photo as long as it fits the theme, which is chosen by the previous contest winner.  The most recent theme was a Black and White Food Photography.

To eliminate all the vibrant and beautiful colors of ingredients really leads you to focus on other elements like textures, shapes, light and contrast.  So on the last day and last couple of hours, I rummaged through the kitchen and ended up submitting the almonds photo below (2nd photo).  In the process, I also snapped a couple of other photos keeping in line with the B&W theme.  Hope you enjoy them!

I love how the cheese knife connects with the white of the table in this one. 

 

More FOOD and more WINE, please!

Can I just say that I LOVE going to food and wine shows/festivals/exhibits/fundraisers/competitions? This past weekend, I attended the Good Food & Wine Show at the Sydney Convention Center on Sunday, its last day.

There's nothing I love more than being able to sample little bites and drinks all-day.  It gives me the opportunity to taste and get to know a product and decide whether I like it or not...all before the point of purchase.  Although the food samples were average and there was a lack of cheese vendors (wine but no cheese?), I did enjoy sampling the wines from different regions, ciders, coffees, and teas.  

The 3-day event included plenty of vendors covering the floor and providing samples to attendees, cooking demonstrations from chefs, workshops, classes, tastings, and chefs tables.  It tours 5 cities and now heads to Perth in a couple weeks so without further adieu, here are some of the photos I snapped from the event:

 

 

 

I have to say, my taste buds are changing here (for the better).  Whereas before I could only withstand certain types of teas (basically the ones that didn't hold a strong tea taste or had lots of other flavors covering it), I can feel it starting to open up (thank you taste buds!) and I just fell in love with the Chai pictured above.  Perfect for cold days! 

P.S. Thanks for reading and for everyone's continued support and love!

Cooking in the kitchen - Pad Thai

Wow! June has definitely zoomed by; actually, more like the past couple of months.  It's funny how quickly time flies and it only tends to speed up as we get older (but younger at heart, each day!).  Hope everyone is enjoying their time out there (especially for those of you in SUMMER!!). Moving on, I've started a Facebook page, hooray!!! So go LIKE me and I'll like you even more ;)

My Hungry Monster

Okay, okay...I know what you're really itching for are the food photos so sorry for the wait.  Been learning about lighting and playing around with my flatmate's camera so here are the results when I was cooking Pad Thai the other night.  Special thanks to Richard for teaching me and shooting some photos! Let me know what you think of them:

Chopping up some capsicum (red bell pepper) and baby corn

Soaking up the rice noodles before cooking them and cutting up some tofu

Fish sauce: a very necessary ingredient in Thai cooking, stir-frying the veggies, and the noodles

Result: a vegetarian Pad Thai

Don't forget the bean sprouts

Note to self: don't forget crushed peanuts next time!

Toodles my noodles!

Sharing is caring

I've been fortunate in my travels and my stay here in Sydney to find the right friends and...foodie friends.  Whether it's exploring different parts of the city and venturing out into the suburbs for some ethnic food, to staying in the city and finding good eats, to cooking different types of cuisines.

It's always more enjoyable cooking for other people and sharing stories and the background behind your food and your culture (be it California, Asian, Thai, Chinese, my inner Hispanic, etc).  Sometimes when I don't know the answer about the Asian/Thai part, I can go to straight to parents (who were born and raised in Thailand) and/or Google more about it.  I believe it's always going to be a never-ending learning experience.

Let me share with you guys one of my favorite dried foods: pork floss aka pork sung or rousong.  I grew up eating it as a child and still to this day, I can hardly get enough of it.  It's definitely a comfort food and makes me think of home.  It's usually eaten very simply: on top of some jasmine rice and accompanied with some soy sauce or also with a rice porridge/congee with fermented mustard leaves/pickled mustard greens (Pak-Gard-Dong in Thai or Swan Tsai in Mandarin).  It can also be found on top of pastries found in Asian/Chinese bakeries.

Pork floss is "made by stewing cuts of pork in a sweetened soy sauce mixture until individual muscle fibres can be easily teased apart with a fork. This usually happens when the collagen and elastin that normally hold the fibres have been cooked out of the meat.  The teased-apart meat is then strained and dried in the oven. After a light drying, the meat is mashed and beaten while being dry cooked in a large wok until it is completely dry."

If you haven't tried it yet, I definitely recommend doing so..even if it's just a tad bit on its own or mixed with rice.  You have to love the Engrish, it may even bring health and happiness! It definitely brought me happiness when I bought some.

Food Shopping, my favorite kind of shopping

I love food shopping.  I love outdoor food shopping even more.  There's something really nice about going to Farmers Markets and picking out the fresh produce from the vendors that makes me giddy. 

Eveleigh Markets on a Saturday afternoon

Fratelli Fresh

The French House for dessert and Finders Keepers Markets

Autumn in Sydney/tree-lined streets in Surry Hills, patterns from Finders Keepers Market, the French House

Weekend brekkies

Breakfast/brekkie is the most important meal of the day.  Not only does it gives us energy and nutrients to start the day but after sleeping x amount of hours, I wake up and the first thing on my mind is "what to eat...?"

A beautiful city on its beautiful days

Greenhouse was a pop-up restaurant/bar in Dawes Point with some pretty amazing views of Sydney and quite a photogenic sight itself.  Too bad it's gone now!

Wine tasting in Hunter Valley, a 3-hour drive from the city, at Audrey Wilkinson (mmmm..the Moscato!).  Always nice to have friends visit, like Jason!