A long day.....

So very tired, I am. I simply cannot feel about my legs. Thursday the stock take day. On top of it; Elena has gone on holiday back to Spain and I had forgot to make the birthday celebration cakes last night for work. The only good thing is that I finally received "Love is the answer by Barbra Streisand" cd.
It's comforting music. Great for what had happened recently. My dear FIFi is loyally sitting by my side. I think I will love him always. No matter how many times he has scratched me.

I read "For the love of Norton" recently. I think they do this book under a different name: "A cat abroad" for the US market. I cannot quite explain how I felt about Norton. He simply is a unusual cat: a NON-cat Cat! FiFi is very much the Cat's cat. He attacks me whenever he feels like and he offers no apologies. I can only say that Mr. Gether is a very lucky cat owner. I could only wish that FIFi will one day be inspired to become Norton-like. I would be gladly taking him to all my restaurant visits and order for him lots of delicious dishes. So far, if Monsieur FIFI is happy for my endless kisses, I am lucky already. And I have to admit that I am a very lucky lady today.

Much to Rabbit's delights, we finally did the Mexican day!

Could see how wasted I was. It was a great party. No matter what had happened during the party, we all enjoyed "Pirata" all so too much! Party of four: My lovel neighbour H, my lone suffering ex-assistant B, my present assistant Elena and me.

Posting some documentary pictures to show what I had done while not posting. My lovely Elena. I had forced her to put on my trousers and this is how she looks like. As you could see, she is a much taller lady. Very pretty and I don't know what I have done to deserve to have a such wonderful assistant!

Here she intentionally lowered herself to be on the same level as me. Probably doing so to make sure that my magic phone could take both of us in the picture.

  

Fifi and the carrot cupcake!

So I have just been told that as cat gets older they are less amused with playing with their fav toy and ETC...

It's true. You don't see the 80 years old grand parents running around play foot balls.
I know this but I am still so worried... Let's play a bit more when you are still a baby, FIFI!

I did this carrot and coconut cupcake last Friday. with maple icing. Guys loved it so much. Rabbit even sent a email to say it was the best cupcake yet!

still many thoughts and of course many glasses of wine, with my friends

French style lunch:

Grilled Goat's cheese salad: with walnut, tomato, mustard cress, baby spinach and French salad dressing.

Ratatouille style salad: courgette, tomato, aubergine, peppers and thyme.

Tartiflette: roasted baby new potato, bacon, Reblochon cheese and onion ( if you love it!)

Oriental style Lunch:

Shallow fried tofu with spicy bean sauce and coriander.

Fresh Oriental salad: mango, tomato, green beans, carrot, parsley and shredded lettuce.

Satay style Beef salad with peanut and coriander.

Rice noodle salad with peanut, chicken, pepper, onion and carrot.

Roasted scallops with tiger prawn in light coconut sauce

Steamed short grain rice with black sesames.

Superfast Food:

Tuna salad with tomato, cucumber, parsley, olive oil and coriander.

Baby potato salad: with radish, boiled eggs, parsley and caper mayo.

Apple and pear salad with raisin, tarragon, walnut, celery and frisee.

US style Lunch:

BLT salad: bacon, lettuce, tomato, radish and lettuce.

 

Baby new potato and boiled egg salad with homemade mayo and mustard cress.

Blueberry salad with tomato, frisee, walnut.

I am posting some pictures that my lovely assistant took for me. I will attach recipes to them soon. Enjoy the pictures. Thank you so much Elena!

Blogging Dummie Me!

I have decided to catagorize my blog postings following my dear friend Felix's advices. It will be easier for you guys to check my recipes and just read what you want! I am often blabbing away with those non-senses. I enjoy it but perhaps those of you who don't know me won't be so interested in my little details. So this is for you. I even went as far as to check out a "Blogging for Dummies" book from the good old library. Sure my Fifi is laughing at me as well. This is him! My sweet!

Kitten fever!

I am joining many of you to become a full time Mum, of a very special kitten: FIFI.
I haven not meet her yet but I know she is going be the best kitten! She will be very brave with a gentle soul. Playful and and friendly. This is her:

MOMOFUKU and FIFi is a BOY!

MOMOFUKU is the name of the restaurant owned by the Chinese looking guy I read about on the Times NY. Very interestingly; he place the very Taiwanese dish on his restaurant menu- and of course it is the most popular one! I have doubts that he is of Taiwanese parents but nevermind; since I have not even started reading his book- MOMOFUKU!

I had asked Rabbit to get me this book- he was going to the US and this book is not available until October or so on the UK Amazon. Very sweetly while he was organising his wedding rehearsal, he got this book for me from the US Amazon. I wanted to pay him but he said in this cute US accent that: I suppose it is in the company's interest that
you get this book....

Anyways, he didn't get the chance to go to MOMOFUKU like I asked. But I sure will cook those recipes from the book for him- at work anyways.

So you've read- my lovely kitten baby girl - FIFI is a boy!

I wouldn't speak staright after the vet told me so.

Things happen for a reason. I did get this name for a reason just perhaps sub- consciously. A boy is a boy! I am going to look after him no matter what.

I've cooked Gaucho style food for lunch today. Guys love my salads.

Sauteed mix mushrooms with sun blushed tomato and shredded basil

Artichoke hearts with red pepper, celery and coriander

Roasted sweet potato with chorizo

Chilli marinated sirloin

Pan fried scallops with mango, chilli, mixed herbs dressing

Aubergine, red pepper and basil soup

It was all good!

Gaucho steaks & Salmon fish cakes

I’ve had a busy week before the last weekend. Apart from the usual routine at work, I’ve had many thoughts on my mind. Friday’s menu was a Middle Eastern one; a type cuisine that’s clean and healthy. It’s one of my personal favourites. Lots fresh Salad and grilled meats. It was also perfect for my clients’ requirements. And they seemed to love what I offered for lunch.


Rabbit came though the kitchen asked about a non flaming BBQ marinate. I advised him to go for the non oil base, preferably dry spices marinade. If you cannot adjust your BBQ grill and the oil in your marinade often causes the black charring on your steaks, this is how you should do it.

I met up with Filli on Friday night at Punch bowl in Mayfair. She was as lovely as ever and I was totally honoured with her frank conversation with me. I am secretly happy about my new Kitten is an honest Aries. With longish black locks, she will be the cat version of me and Filli’s kind of girlies.

Saturday I spent strolling ups and downs on King’s Road searching for kitten’s accessories. I was also looking for the special local “London” honey but shame it was not anywhere to be seen. However, I did enjoy much of the markets at both Pimlico Road and King’s Road. Many diverse cuisines available just around the corner of the gallery of our kitchen goddess Nigella’s husband. I went to visit Haribo in east end in the late afternoon. My beautiful friend was in the mood for champagne and this was what we had after a brief visit to the local American Burger bar. Love; was never an easy topic. I seemed to spend much time recently listening to the stories of it.

The fun part of it was that I actually prepared to visit her with the ingredients for the chicken soup. Now that I think about it; I probably had better just went along with a bottle of bubbly.

The past weekend was an unusual one: hot to a degree that while I was adventuring to Chelsea neighbourhood- I felt that I was being BBQed on the tree-less street. At this desperate moment I went for Gaucho: The much talked about place at work for their delicious Argentinean beef steaks.

And after I’ve tried their menu: yes, the steaks are great! Tasty and full of the right flavours for a simple piece of beef. The charges on the sauce and side dishes were reasonable- if you think the £20 plus is justifiable- for just the steak and you need to pay extra for the “extras”. The peppercorn sauce I’ve had was bland and the sautéed mixed mushrooms on the side was over sweated in their wet mixtures. As I was unable to finish the whole lots that I’ve ordered; I’ve decided that I will just order the steak next time without the extras. That is after trying all of the restaurants in the area, which I think it will be autumn when I go back to Gaucho. But I have to say: it is a nice place for a casual date location. It’s simple and classy in black. I especially love the part that the receptionist had to ask for your name when you sit down in the table. Perhaps I had reminded her of some far eastern actress with my oriental look. I don’t know, we will see when I go again next time.

Here is the recipe for the salmon fish cake I’ve made this morning:

1 kg salmon trimmings (seriously! A fishmonger is very useful. Ask for the trimmings, they had to trim it off the salmon fillets anyways. You will get them in a very good price.)

4 thai bird’s eye red chilli

The root of 1 bunch coriander

1 thumb size ginger

4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp salt

A few grind of pepper or ½ tsp

A sprinkle of soy sauce

A sprinkle of fish sauce

How to make the fish cake:

1. Take a knife to finely mince the salmon trimmings and ginger, garlic, coriander root and red chilli.

Or

2. Magimix the whole lots

Then

1. Wash your hands thoroughly

Or

2. Put on your disposable cloves

Take a golf ball size mixture in your hands and mould it into a small fish ball.

After you make all the fish balls, cook them with 1 tbsp oil in a hot pan. Cook them for 30 seconds each sides. If you like your fish cake properly cooked through, put all of them in a baking tray. Bake for 7 minutes at 180 degrees. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.