This is my personal space, somewhere i post all the random things going on in my head, my life, things i find cool and the adventures i have everyday. There is no filler. Ocassionally NSFW.
Sometimes you just feel like drawing demons.
I love everything about this Etrigan the Demon image.
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52 Blogs: Week 7 - Pies
This weeks topic is Pies or Practice.
I’ve chosen Pies because they are a GLORIOUS meal. GLORIOUS I tell you! You make a superb filling and then put in this pastry. Or you put in a plate and just give it a Pastry hat!
Anyway my first memory of Pies is going on a family drive to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels at Woolloomooloo (that suburb is a mouthful in itself) Wharf. Harry’s has been selling pies there since 1945. A lot of famous people have gone there just to have one of their famous pies.
Here is a little bit of the History of Harry’s http://www.harryscafedewheels.com.au/History_of_Harrys_Pies.aspx
Now another Pie store that I have discovered recently and love is called the Pie Tin and it’s in Newtown. This place does gourmet savoury and sweet pie/tarts. The Sweet ones are more like your American style sweet pies.
Now the savoury ones have a wide range of flavours, that change from day to day depending on what’s available. They bake a small batch fresh at the beginning of each day. They also change the flavours of the pies they cook depending on the weather season. So far I’ve had the lamb & rosemary, and the tender steak, cheese & smokey bacon. Both were amazing.
Here’s their Menu: http://www.thepietin.com.au/menu/pietin_menu.pdf
Anyway I thought I would end this blog post by posting the recipe up for Beef Bourguignon Pies that i recently made. It went down a treat!
INGREDIENTS
12 pickling onions (480g)
6 bacon rashers (420g), rind removed, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g mushrooms
1kg gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
750g packet frozen potato chips
2 sheets ready-rolled
butter puff pastry
cooking-oil spray
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 bacon rashers (420g), rind removed, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g mushrooms
1kg gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
750g packet frozen potato chips
2 sheets ready-rolled
butter puff pastry
cooking-oil spray
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
METHOD
Peel onions, leaving roots intact; halve lengthways.
Cook bacon in heated large heavy-based saucepan, stirring, until crisp; drain on absorbent paper. Reheat same pan; cook onion, stirring, until browned all over, remove from pan. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in same pan; cook mushrooms, stirring, until just browned, remove from pan.
Coat beef in flour; shake off excess. Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook beef, in batches, until browned all over. Add bacon and onion with tomato paste and thyme; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add mushrooms; simmer, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to hot.
Cook bacon in heated large heavy-based saucepan, stirring, until crisp; drain on absorbent paper. Reheat same pan; cook onion, stirring, until browned all over, remove from pan. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in same pan; cook mushrooms, stirring, until just browned, remove from pan.
Coat beef in flour; shake off excess. Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook beef, in batches, until browned all over. Add bacon and onion with tomato paste and thyme; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add mushrooms; simmer, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to hot.
Place pastry sheets on board; using 1¼-cup (310ml) ovenproof dish, cut lid for one pie by tracing around upper-rim of dish with tip of sharp knife. Repeat process until you have six lids. Place lids on oiled oven
tray, spray with cooking-oil spray; bake, uncovered, in hot oven during
last 4 minutes of chip cooking-time or until lids are browned lightly.
Meanwhile, stir parsley into beef bourguignon then divide among six
1¼-cup (310ml) ovenproof dishes; top each with pastry lid.
tray, spray with cooking-oil spray; bake, uncovered, in hot oven during
last 4 minutes of chip cooking-time or until lids are browned lightly.
Meanwhile, stir parsley into beef bourguignon then divide among six
1¼-cup (310ml) ovenproof dishes; top each with pastry lid.
Enjoy!!
Don’t forget, guys: this Sunday, ABC3, 5:25pm, the debut of my mental new narrative kids game show, Steam Punks! Real proud of it. X
Watch This!!
52 Blogs: Week 6 - Books
Books.
I’ve always loved reading. Growing up you could always find my face in a book reading away. Reading is an escape for me. Escaping away to this literary wonderland that someone has created.
With books my reading tastes are usually around Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Drama, But I tend to jump out of that box and read other things as well.
I’ve never been a big autobiography fan, but this year I’ve decided to try and start reading more biographies of people in the past and present who fascinate me.
There’s just something about books that always grabs me. I just cannot resist buying something from a Comic Book/Book store if I go in. I always find something new that catches my eye that I have to read.
I also have thing I do, that whenever I leave town by plane I purchase a book from the book store at the airport. Although lately I’ve been mainly purchasing puzzle books, because the airport stores seem to be only selling trash like “Fifty Shades of Grey”
This also means that I have a large collection of stuff that has gone unread. Below is a picture of all the things I’ve bought last year and this year so far that I still haven’t read. I will set out to finish reading them by the end of the year!
52 Blogs: Week 5 - Special
When I thought of the word “Special”, the first thing that popped into my head were my friends.
My friends keep me sane and down to earth.
They are always there without any judgement for advice, to lend a hand or even a shoulder to cry on.
I consider them family, and closer at times than my own family.
So here is to friends!
52 Blogs: Week 4 - Bedtime
Bedtime. The one moment in the day where I can usually recharge my batteries for a few hours without being disturbed.
The thing I have noticed though as I get older, is that I try to prevent sleeping on the weekends more than I do during the weekday.
I think that’s my brain going “Fuck off, it’s the weekend. Enjoy it as much as you can before you have to go to grind stone on Monday”.
As we all know though, preventing sleep can lead to napping at inappropriate times, or sleeping through the whole next day (I’ve done both many a time).
What can you do. You only live once, and there’s always an endless supply of coffee to get you through the next day.
52 Blogs: Week 3 - Rescue
This is going to be a short one for this week.
Suffice to say I’ve had a busy week and a lot of things on my plate. Work and Personal.
A new role at work, a new online writing gig and also stuff going on at home.
That final bit leads me to this weeks Blog Topic: Rescue
A lot of the times I need an outlet/escape from the things that stress me out.
That’s where my friends come in. They are always usually there to lend an ear to listen to me, a shoulder to cry on, or even just to go out with for dinner/movie/etc.
There are rare times though when everyone is busy and you need someone to talk to. That’s where a help line comes in.
Some Examples:
Depression Hotline (Beyond Blue): 1300 22 4636
Depression Hotline alternate (Kid’s Helpline): 1800 55 1800
Suicide Hotline (LifeLine): 13 11 14
Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to call. Before I came out to my parents I called Beyond Blue.
There’s always someone to talk to if you like you need a rescue.
