Saturday, May 30, 2009

First day travel from Brisbane to Sydney

After a day of meetings, left Brisbane around 4pm, since we left pretty late, decided to get a place in Byron Bay to stay the night.

Bad Friday traffic jam going south of Brisbane.

Stayed in a place called Studio58 Byron Bay on Ewingsdale Road. Interesting little place, cost me A$130. Run by a nice local lody called Roz Holmes. In the middle of a plantation.


View of the only 2 rooms run by Roz :) I am on room #2.


Door to my room for 9 hours.


View inside the room. Not bad.

The day of Light House

Today's agenda, driving down from Byron Bay south, as much as possible.

Woke up 6am, try to catch the sunrise on Byron Bay lighthouse.



This place happen to be the most eastern point of mainland Australia.



Bloody cold here. If one is lucky, can actually able to spot whales migrating which usually pass through here. Too bad today is not the day.

Done the lighthouse sunrise, starts the journey south to Sydney.

Found a cottage chocolate factory called Carobana, confectionery. Bought some.



Had lunch at the Anchors Wharf at Urunga. Had a steak sandwich. Bought something for Megan.





Got into Port Macquarie, decided to stay the night here. Visit another light house. The Tacking Point light house.




Bloody cold. Amazing view of the Tacking beach. Nice wave. If only I can surf.



Now in the hotel, Quality Inn, Port Macquarie. Hi Kelly!!! Nice....

Had a buffer dinner (A$21.20) at the local bowling (Lawn Bowling, not 9 pins) club with a casino at the ground floor. Feels like anytime someone will yell Bingo. Like eating in old folks home canteen. Weird. Food is ok. Beers at A$2.60 for half pint. Nice...

Will sleep early. Damn Tired.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Going away

Going away for a week. Down under. 3 cities run. meeting colleagues and partners.

Hopefully something good come out from the trip.

Will try to have as much fun as possible. Plenty of wine, I guess.

Megan is suffering from HFMD. Poor girl. And need to separate her from Ashlee.

Will update more on my trip and Megan soon.

Making carrot cake

Got inspired from JoyofBaking website. Decided to try this cake, my fav.

Recipe can get from here.

Carrot Cake Recipe:

1 cup (100 grams) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

3/4 pound (340 grams) raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup (240 ml) safflower, vegetable or canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Carrot Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting.

To assemble: place one cake layer, top side down, onto your serving plate. Spread with about one third of the frosting. Gently place the other cake, top of cake facing down, onto the frosting, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. If desired, press toasted and finely chopped nuts on the sides of the cake and decorate the top of the cake with marzipan carrots (see below). Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves 10 - 12.

Frosting:

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.



The cake before the cream cheese frosting.


With frosting. Not very nice. And used the wrong kind of sugar.

Taste? excellent. I love it. some of the guest love it too.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Are you having fun?


A wise man on the mountain told me, when you are not having fun, get out.

Is it about time?

Try very hard to find something that I enjoy doing, can't think of any. Pretty sad way to live.

Maybe is time for me to go to meditation retreat. Too long staying in this materialistic world, accumulating things that will only make me more miserable.

Too much attachment and desire.


Saturday, May 23, 2009

23/May/2009 Saturday Morning Ride

Went riding in Putrajaya 3rd Saturday in a row, the cyclist capital of Malaysia.

1st time, we did a small "PCM Chicken loop" only around 14KM. Kinda boring. No sweat.

2nd time, we took the GeDeBe loop, almost 30KM. The supposedly long and hard climb didn't feel like that difficult.

Today, we took the GeDeBe loop, then make a u-turn at the overhead bridge and do the original PCM route back to PICC and back to the mosque roundabout. Distance 41KM.

It was a nice ride, I ride up to PICC too, just for a last climb before recovery ride (2-3KM) back to the car.

Total time taken, 2 hours 10 minutes, with 4 stops. Next time should target below 2 hours.

Will be outstation next weekend, so, no ride.

One RPM class in FF and maybe one PCC ride in TTDI before doing down under.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Kalama Sutta


Do not simply believe what you hear just because you have heard it for a long time.

DO not follow tradition blindly merely because it has been practiced in that way for many generations.

Do not be quick to listen to rumors.

Do not confirm anything just because it agrees with your scriptures.

Do not foolishly make assumptions.

Do not abruptly draw conclusions by what you see and hear.

Do not be fooled by outward appearances.

Do not old on tightly to any view or idea just because you are comfortable with it.

DO no accept as fact anything that you yourself find to be logical.

Do not be convinced of anything out of respect and deference to your spiritual teachers.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Sunday Pizza lunch




Went to Chef Enzo Dente class for pizza making at the cooking house couple of weeks ago. Need practice. Refer to the previous blog on the class.

Made the dough and the sauce with Chef Enzo's recipe, except I can't find the blue key flour and diamond flour. Also I did not use the live yeast, use the instant yeast instead. Sorry chef.

The sauce turn out a little wet compare to Chef's.

Pizza dough



1kg All purpose flour
0.5 lit cold water
15ml olive oil
pinch of salt and sugar
50g of yeast

1. Dissolve yeast in water
2. Combine all ingredient and knead until dough is smooth, about 20 minutes with hand
3. Cover dough with cling firm and leave it at warm place. Proof for 45 mintues
4. Punch out the dough and let it proof again
5. Dough ready

Pizza sauce

1 tin of tomato
Handful of fresh basil and italian parsley (flat leaf parsley)
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of oregano

I made Calzone with roasted chicken and pineappe and portebello mushroom pizza. 1KG of flour can made about 4 calzone and 4 9" pizza.

The guests can't wait for picture taking, no picture for calzone, but managed top get picture for the pizzas.



How to do it better?

1. Get a better and hotter oven. My convection oven can only go up to 250C. Not hot enough.
2. Need to improve the dough making.
3. Get the right flour
4. Find live yeast
5. Get the pizza pan from Chef.

Overall, it was nice. The guest like the pizza and Calzone (guys, that was not curry puff, please!!!).

Will definitely make it again.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Saturday Morning Ride



Date : 16/May/2009
Time : 7.30am - 9.00am
Route : Outer ring of putrajaya
Distance : close to 30KM

Me, Ee and Marina took the bike on the outer ring of Putrajaya, the usual GeDeBe wednesday evening route.

Nice and easy ride, might as well since I was still recovering from the RPM class on friday morning, new instructor, Miss Margie, very very tough, compare to the previous instructor, Wan.

The supposedly difficult climb was not that difficult anymore.

May consider to do a outer ring again next week and add in an inner ring, just to make it above 40KM.

Maybe not, if some friends want to join with my MTB. Will see.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Happy Wesak Day




In celebration of Wesak day tomorrow (9/May/2009). Will like to share with all the viewer on my blog (all 2 of you) the teaching of Buddha.

To avoid all evil,
to cultivate good,
and to purify one's mind -
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

Simple, isn't it?

The four noble truth of buddhhism

1. Life means suffering
2. The origin of suffering is attachment
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable
4. The path to the cessation of suffering

What is the path to the cessation of suffering, you asked?

The noble eightfold path

1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right concentration

Are there rules to follow? Well, Buddhism has the five precepts for layman

1. No harming of living being
2. Not taking things that is freely given
3. No sexual misconduct
4. No false speech
5. Not taking intoxicating drinks and drugs that cause headlessness

It is so simple and logical.

May you all be well and happy always.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

WEdnesday cycling with GeDeBe group in Putrajaya

Haven't been doing the ride for weeks. Mostly due to chores to do, except last week, was in hospital.

Restless just thinking about missing the ride. Missed all the training that I need to do before the July 3 days ride.

Kind of reluctant to go as well, they usually start just before 10pm and end right after 11pm. By the time I got home and shower, it will be almost 1am before I go to sleep.

Need to find alternative. Maybe PCC roadie group will be a good choice. Every tuesday ride around TTDI for 25KM (starting 8.30pm) and every thursday at Putrajaya, with option of 35KM and 70KM. 35KM option starts at 8.30pm.

More reasonable time.

Ciao, going to sleep. Need solid 7+ hours of sleep to function well.

Ashlee at 45 days



Ashlee at 45 days old. Starting to laugh and cooing...

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Dinner last night

Felt much better, no more yellowish color in the eye and skin. Overall seems to be ok now.

Get the family out to have dinner, too long stuck in the house. Need some fresh air. First time Ashlee venture beyond the border of Subang.

Went to Buonasera in SS2 for dinner. The Chef Enzo Dente was the instructor in my blog on the pizza making in TheCookingHouse.

We had the Prosciutto Melon and Calamari Fritti as appetizer. For main course, 5 cheese pizza and a pasta. Need to leave some space for dessert.

For dessert, we shared a sticky dates pudding and the famous Tiramisu with the authentic Marsala
wine. The dates pudding was amazing.

The bill came to about RM200 for 3 adults and 1 children, expensive, but it was good.

Here is the address

Buonasera

42, SS2/66 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: +603- 7877 8586


Look for the big duck in SS2.

Picture of the oatmeal cookies

Refer to the old post for the recipe

Lunch Today - Linguine With Pancetta, Olive Oil, Chile, Clams And White Wine Sauce



Was lazing around last night in front of the TV watching AFC, Naked Chef was on, Jamie was cooking for his "Future" mother in law. The Pasta with clams looks good. This morning, went down to SS15 market, hunt down the clams and some groceries for the week.

Here was where I got the recipe. I used fettuccine instead of linguine, ran out. And used local pork bacon instead of the italian one. No white wine at home, replaced it with ikan bilis broth. Didn't put chili, Megan is eating.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried good quality linguine pasta
olive oil
4 rashers pancetta, sliced, thinly or dry-curled smoked bacon
1 x large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 dried red chili, crumbled
1 1/2 lb. clam
2 x 5 oz white wine
handful chopped parsley, leaves
salt, and, freshly ground black pepper
Method:

1. Cook your linguine in salted boiling water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, get a pan hot and add a couple of good lugs (tablespoons) of olive oil and the pancetta.
3. Fry until golden, then add the garlic and chilies.
4. Soften them slightly and add the clams.
5. Stir, then add the white wine.
6. Put a lid on the pan and cook for a further couple of minutes until all the clams have opened discard any that remain closed.
7. Remove from the heat and add the drained linguine.
8. Stir in the parsley, correct the seasoning and serve with all the cooking juices.

Awesome!!!!