Mushroom Picking

Once upon a time, my friend Ksenia had told me that she was going mushroom picking to which I enthusiastically responded, "mushroom picking?!? Tell me more!"  It sounded like a fun adventure and so when one of my friends here in Sydney told me she was going, I had to get in on the action.

Perhaps it's more of a Eastern European/Soviet Union activity as it seemed quite common to them, one being from Russia and the other from Ukraine, but the thought of going out for my own wild mushrooms hadn't really crossed my mind.

This past weekend, we went off to the Belanglo State Forest for a quick weekend getaway.  It was only on the way there that I had learned about the dangers and reputation it received but luckily, there was comfort in traveling in a large and well-traveled group of folks who knew what they were doing.

Fun team building games were organized to welcome us onto the campground and to get to know each other a bit more.  There was a bit of mushroom sighting but we saved it for the day after so as to pick and take them home at their freshest.

Frolicking through the forest in between trees and searching for mushrooms was exhilarating and each time we found the smaller ones (that are less common to come across), it was like finding treasure! 86 mushrooms later, I decided to call it a day for picking these Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms:

I even counted up to 86 in Russian!

Peek-a-boo! Mushroom eyes look like donuts...just sayin'

These beautiful Saffron Milk Cap wild mushrooms have such a beautiful and vibrant orange color.

An important note about mushroom picking: definitely do your research and go somewhere known for mushroom picking as there will be signs and pictures on the edible types of mushrooms.  "If in doubt, go without!" Also, don't forget to bring your knife and a bag or box to place your mushrooms in.

Byron Bay - Part II

Where does the time go? Months pass by so quickly and lots has happened. Turns out that I had written a Byron Bay Part I post, which meant I still had more to share.  Perhaps I adopted some of this:

Just maybe, they'll be there

In any case, I went through and dug through my photos to see what else was remaining that was worthwhile:

Crystal Castle rainbow umbrellas, refreshing ice teas, fish n chips from Fish heads, sampling crackers with  Saghtar  spreads at the Bangalow Markets, and enjoying lunch outdoors

Nestled in between some wood fired pizzas

Freshly squeezed juice makes me jump!

Vibrant oranges fill the carts and boxes

Food signage

This man awaits you for some brekkie at Bayleaf Cafe

Let your sense of adventure take you to places you've never gone before

Byron Bay - Part I

It's good to get away for the weekend and escape for a bit.  Especially if it includes warm weather and good food:

Follow me down to the most eastern part of Australia

Up in the hills is a magical place and it even has a labyrinth. 

Poinciana  Cafe in Mullumbimby, NSW

Colourful signage at the Bangalow Markets.
We were lucky to have caught it (last Sundays of each month)

I found Red Dacca bananas, which I'd never heard of.
It was a tasty and delicious snack.

Chai Tea Latte from In the Pink (Homemade Ice Cream, Gelati, and Sorbet)

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.  

Memories from Malaysia - Part 2

What I love about food is that it brings people together.  Whether it's with family, close ties, friends, or even strangers, eating is vital to our well-being.  The memories I have back at home, a lot of the time revolve around food, like making a special dessert with my mom that she's especially known for.  I recently called her the other day and she had told me she made some (oh the pain of not being able to eat it!).

Family is so important and the traditions that are brought along are equally so.  In my visit to my friend's hometown of Sitiawan, in the province of Perak, Malaysia, he brought me to this street corner shop.  It was run down but that didn't stop the shop from producing a wonderfully executed biscuit snack called kompiang.

This was already the 4th generation of family members who ran the shop.  Though there are 3-4 different locations in town, this one was known to be the best ones with an average waiting time of 20-30 minutes.  

The history behind it is that it was the food soldiers took with them in the 1500's because of its trans-portability.  The hole in the center allowed the soldiers to place it on a string and carry it around with them easily.

The man pictured above is placing each kompiang biscuit in the clay oven.  Meanwhile, I tried to sneak one because they smelled so good!  But alas, I waited and it was all worth it to hear the story and eat the kompiang biscuits.

Memories from Malaysia - Part 1

The good thing about waiting awhile in between posts is that I get these spouts of energy and then really get into it!  So let's say I've taken an extended coffee break:

White Coffee in Ipoh, Malyasia.
Coffee beans are roasted in margarine, then brewed and served with sweetened condensed milk.  

Being here in Australia has exposed me to different cultures than I'm normally used to, like the Malaysian one.  So when my friend Alex told me he was going to be in Malaysia the same time I was in Thailand and recommended that I go visit the country, then I couldn't pass up the opportunity.  After all, between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is a short 2-hour flight, the equivalent of driving in traffic from one end of Los Angeles to the other.

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur

Thanks to the wonderful world of CouchSurfing, I've certainly made a lot of great friends who enjoy a lot of the same hobbies from traveling, to eating, to really getting down and exploring all the different cultures the world has to offer.  Alex, who I originally met in LA and who also lives there, together with some of his friends along the way, showed me the local side of Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur, to Ipoh, to his hometown of Sitiawan.  Here's just some of my visual and edible experiences I had:

2 different types of the fruit, rambutan

Savory or sweet snacks wrapped in banana leaves;
chicken heads - hmm..wonder what they're going to make out of that..

Grilled fish and laksa - there's too much to eat here!

Sweet potatoes and salted, steamed chicken

Everyone needs a quick sugar fix for some Cendol - jelly noodles made with rice flour, food coloring from  pandan leaves, palm sugar, coconut milk, red beans and shaved ice