Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Herb and Mustard

Few days ago was shopping in the city, was looking for fish but couldn't find nice skinned ones so decided to postpone it until I visit the Sydney Fishmarket again. Chanced upon some lamb instead so thought what the hell, might as well try to do it up myself after so many times of buying prepacked ones. This is my own version of Roasted Lamb Shoulder marinated with Herb and Mustard, served with roasted potatoes and cherrie tomatoes bathed in oregano.


Massively salt the lamb for 20-25 minutes. Remember that only sea salt is to be used, not your normal table salt.


Wash the salt rocks off, wipe the lamb dry with a kitchen towel and stab it all over with a small knife.


Break up the Thyme sprigs into small individual stalks, about 1cm long each and insert them into the slits. The amount inserted should vary according to the intensity of the flavor you desire. Squeeze mustard all over and roll the lamb around coating every part of it. Sprinkle some table salt and freshly ground black pepper over the coated lamb.


Peel and smash up some garlics, of which I have used about 1 and a half bulbs of it over here. Line them up on a sheet of foil placed upon a baking tray. The amount should be relative to the size if your lamb. The rule of thumb for me is that it should have a footprint as large as that of the lamb.


Place the nicely coated lamb onto the garlic.


Wrap it all up and place it in the oven after pre-heating it for about 10 minutes at 180c. Leave it in the oven for about 50 minutes before bringing the tray out and opening the top of the foil. The first 50 minutes will see the juices cooking the lamb, while after opening the foil, the heat should dry out the top layer for a crispier taste. After opening the foil, place it back into the oven for a further 15-20 minutes.


Ingredients for the sides: Cherry Tomatoes, Baby Potatoes, Oregano and Chives.


Finely chopped up oregano. Mix it up with finely chopped up chives.


Place the tomatoes and potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Lightly coat them with olive oil and dump all of the herbs in plus a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper thereafter. Mix all of them together by hand until all is even.


Pan fry the mixture for a few minutes, drop in a small cube of butter. 2-3 minutes after the butter melts should be around when you remove the sides and place them on a sheet of foil on a tray. Pop them into the oven about 15 minutes after you've placed the lamb in.


Slightly overcooked, but still lovely.


Dish it out and serve.





Hopefully I'll be able to visit the Fish Market this weekend to get my seabass to try out some new dish. Or maybe scallops. Or maybe monkfish. So many choices!

Three New Shows, A New Interest

After settling down here in Sydney, for the first few weeks I have consistently plonked myself on the couch staring at the tv after dinner. The internet was down then, so there was no other choice, unless I wanted to re-watch the hundreds of movies/series that I have on my computer which i have watched countlessly. It was by chance that I was exposed to a few fantastic shows, one being Underbelly, a dramatized series depicting the Melbourne gang wars that happened not too long ago. It changed my perception of Australian dramas as the previous ones that I have caught on tv were pure rubbish.

The second was Two and a Half Men, an American sitcom revolving around the lives of two brothers and a child of one of them. I previously loved Friends, but Two and a Half Men completely blew the former away.

The last one was Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, where celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay visits an ailing establishment and aims to revamp and revive the eatery/restaurant in a week's time, utilizing everything that he knows about the trade. First, the show managed to present how the life of a chef is, and gives us some insight into the workings of a restaurant, which is of course interesting. Secondly, Ramsay - which owns a few Michelin stared restaurant, one of which is a three stared fine diner - can't help but emphasize the need and the benefits of using fresh ingredients. Lastly, he said that the passion for food is paramount if you are to succeed in that line.

I bought into what he said, and started to experiment with the freshest ingredients and not fearing what the outcome was, I'm proud to say that my endeavors were pretty much successful. By my own standards of course. To procure the freshest ingredients means going to butchers rather than supermarkets, or to purchase fresh herbs instead of bottled ones. It may prove to be expensive if you are cooking just for one, but as the numbers increase, the cost drops. Basic economics. To date I have tried cooking twice, which effort I hope I can keep up to at least try out something new each week. Hopefully.

This was my first attempt: Medium-rare Sirloin with Rosemary and garlic, served with pan-fried peppers and mushroom, and a thick creamy mushroom sauce.

Sydney Auto Salon, National Finals 07

A post that is way overdue.

It was a damp and drizzly morning when I was in my rental along with my sis, driving around looking for the North Sydney train station to pick up abby. After nearly 20 minutes of innumerable circles around the blocks of North Sydney, we finally picked up abby, and god almighty, the gps that she just picked up was a godsend. Our destination (more like mine) was the Sydney Olympic Park, the locale where the Sydney Olympics took place in 2000. Not this day though, as the event that was taking place at the showgrounds is none other than the Auto Salon Finals.

Nearly 30 minutes of leaving our fate up to the gps unit later, we reached our destination. Sis balked at the $25 entry, so she decided to stay put and sleep in the car. I don't think Abby was too happy with it as well, but she said it was part of the experience so she didn't mind. What a great way to start. Bloody Auto Salon rip-off.


Damn rip off. Damned if I get ripped off, be damned if I leave empty handed after wasting 30 mintues on the road.


TRD Super GT car with a tuned 3S-GTE in it


Attendants of the Malaysian leg of the Super GT gets way better shots than this.


Tuned S2000 which appeared on the Autosalon mag.


Nicely done up S15


Weaksauce GTT. At this point was hoping that there better be 2 GTRs present for every GTT to make up for my effort to attend.


Blur picture, but it was a 750+ hp supra on dyno (I think). Single massive turbo if I'm not mistaken, sounded like a 737 taking off. Was half expecting the harness to break anytime and the car flying towards the spectators, crushing a few poor souls to my amusement.


Subtly beautiful. Such is the top secret DC5 kit. Absolutely loved it ever since I saw the real thing driven by my neighbour's friend back at home.


Candy paint and bling wheels. What more can I say? Barf bag please.


Another one.


Finally, the real deal.


Good things come in pairs.


Fantastic 996 GT3. Immaculate.


Some tube frame drag car I suppose. Ironically the thing that caught my eye on this stand was the model, rather than this car. The model was taking photos with some buffoons. Poor thing was getting nasty buffoon hands all over her ass while doing that. Idiots.


Big boys started to appear in increasing numbers.


Supras not leaving without a fight.


When this car zooms past you on the road, you'll be aroused.


Candy paint, but all is forgiven as the color is not atrocious. Beautiful beautiful specimen. Makes me wanna be all over it.


Look at that front end. Pure sex on wheels.


The infamous Queen Street 360. Twin turbo'ed redhead.


Bring on the shades please.


From another angle. Read this baby is going to be succeeded by a Lambo.


Another beautiful S15


Hummer? No thanks. I'll take this one any day. Bad boy looks like it eats baby hilux'es for lunch and hummers for dinner. MASSIVE car.


Definitely a girl's car. Cannot be otherwise, can it?


This year's winner. The Osman brothers' masterpiece. Chopped up WRX, modified into a ute.


Do you see a front end in this pic, or a rear?


Insane hayabusa. Must have balls of steel to ride that, literally.


Side profile.


Some decent XX.


More XXes, dancing for me. I wish.


Not my cup of tea.


Pretty nice and edgy S14.


Which one is the best ride?


Another chopper. Love them wheels.


ACS'fied 5.


Pretty nice Jag S-type.


Lonely 355. Has a banshee's wail.


Can't get tired of 360s. So much simpler and prettier than 430s.


Happy Camper :D

All in all, the event is honestly not worth the entry price. It is not much better than your regular auto salon, except that it has much hotter models than the one in Perth. Would I return? I have no idea. But if they move the event to a location that is nearer to the city, I just might be too tempted to resist.

Cirque du Soleil - Varekai

Just yesterday me and the missus went to the Cirque, and honestly, i am lost for words. It was THAT good!



It has been years and years since i last went to the circus, when i was way younger during my early high school days. During that period in time, circuses are usually held at muddy fields under gigantic tents, and of course the usual spots would be the old Escoy Smelting compound as well as Han Chiang High School's ginormous field. The one that i can remember best was the Royal London Circus, of which if i am not mistaken was held at Han Chiang. It wasn't a memorable experience since the show was just mediocre at best, but the location as well as the event was managed appallingly. Toilets were few and far between, the ground was muddy and slippery, the seats were just wooden benches affixed to the seating structure/scaffolding, and there were kids screaming about as the show went on. The Cirque though, is a far cry from what the Royal London was.



Before this, the only times i've heard of the Cirque was on tv, while it was being mentioned on shows like CSI and Las Vegas, so my preconception of it was that it was just another famous Vegas show. I have no interest in those, until i was told that it is a circus by my french speaking friends. Literally translated, Cirque du Soleil means 'Circus of the Sun'. This franchise was started by two guys in Quebec, Canada over 20 years ago, and it prides itself in being one of the most highly regarded shows around the world today. They have resident shows in one of the Vegas hotels, as well as travelling troupes performing all over the US.



What is special about the Cirque is that their different shows have different themes and that their performers are usually dressed in elaborate outfits with make up to go, and as for the show i attended - Varekai - they had musicians and singers performing live on stage for the ongoing performance.



Sorry if i can't stop raving about the Cirque experience because i have not experienced anything like it at all. Period. From purchasing the tickets online to the ushering on site, everything was near perfect. And all this happening on a rainy day just impressed me even more. The location was easily accessible, it was clean, there were helpers all around, the Cirque shop was efficient, and the ushers, they really lead you all the way up to your seat. And the show itself? It started at right on time, 4pm, on the damn dot.



Since Varekai is loosely based on the Greek legend of Icarus, they started off by visually introducing the characters, with the real deal starting when Icarus the man in white tights and gay feathers being lowered down on to the stage. The stage itself is really special as well because it allows the performers to appear on or leave the stage as they like through trapdoors on the floor.



The show was very properly planned out, running a length of 2 hours with a 30 minute intermission in between each hour, and during both periods, the balance between the available acts and their novelty was pretty good, since usually circus acts get stale after a while since they are not that well planned, and usually the shows run the entire course of the time allocated without any breaks given(if i remember clearly).



Apart from the elaborate costumes and make up, the Cirque also make use of specially designed props and syncing the sound effects to what the characters are doing at specific times. Imagine that, surround speakers which work perfectly. In a circus.



As was mentioned earlier, there were music and singing accompanying the acts as the show progressed, and it wasn't just the regular music playbacks, no, not shit like that. The Cirque had LIVE music! I think they had about 7 or so musicians in total, with a male and a female singer singing along in incomprehensible but awesome french plus LOTR-like languages. The great thing about this is that the musicians and singers walks around freely on stage while the show is in progress, greatly improving the atmosphere as it gives you the feel that the whole show is one, unlike other circuses.



The shortcomings of the show are few and far between, since every aspect has been carefully thought of, every act beautifully choreographed. What bothered me, albeit only slightly, was the absence of a real flying trapeze crew, because to me a circus can't be complete without a flying trapeze. It is understandable though, as the Cirque is all about artistic and choreographed moves, rather than just pure death defying stunts. The limited size of the tent also didn't permit such an act to be a viable one even if one is to be planned.



Of all the things that i've raved on a about, one thing sorely disappointed me - not being able to take photos on site. That left me no choice but the grab the ridiculously priced dvd that was on sale at the store. Apart from that small little chip off the perfect package, as the french have it, Cirque du Soleil est manufique!


Fantastic dance performance by a bunch of men in red tights.


Short of Chappelle and Russell Peters, one of the funniest stage actors i've seen in a long time.


Amazing juggler who could handle everything, from bowling pins, balls, and hats, to juggling ping pong balls with his mouth.


The most flexible person i've seen live.


One of the highlights of the show, flying and balancing stunt men that made up for the lack of a flying trapeze.


End of the show. Can a circus be any better? Seriously.

Perth Auto Salon 07

The new European Civic Type-R Hatch. Apart from the wheels that i think are tastefully paired with the car, nothing much was done i suppose. Would make a pretty awesome car for the missus if only i could afford one. The front fascia, dual triangular tailpipes and the high-tech interior are the major draws for me, even though a lot of people think this version of the civic is a tad ugly, i think it's perfectly fine since it looks a more striking than the JDM civic SEDAN. I mean, come on, Type-R should strike fear, so a sedan just can't quite make the cut for me.


Typical attention whoring caucasian mod - Scissor doors, chrome wheels, candy paint. You can tell where the owner of the car comes from by how it is modified. If you squint harder you'll notice that the person is placing hundred dollar bills(Aussie dollar) on the ground.


300C with chrome wheels. You can't be a mafia boss until you have one of these on your driveway.


Pretty standard Lotus Exige-S


Moving pimp crib. Hummer H2 fully laden with audio and visual goodies.


Ridiculously huge Ford F-250. And by huge, i mean HUGE. This is what Chuck Norris would drive when he's not busy roundhouse kicking.


Another proof of my theory of Aussie mods - an outrageously modified Mazda RX7. Pretty nicely done up, except for the horrendous bonnet with a protruding lcd. Good thing is that it usually rolls about with a regular vented carbon fibre bonnet.


Not bad looking Mazda RX-7.


Another one.


And another one. But this one looks far better than the previous 3 combined. If only it had clear fixed headlamps instead of those ugly flappy ones.


Subaru Impreza WRX. Pretty sweet car, with quite some mods in the engine bay. Too bad it spots chrome wheels, totally killed the chance of it appearing at least presentable.


Ver. 9 WRX STI.


Nissan Silvia S15. Has some simple engine and visual modifications. I hope i could get one of these babies as the first or second car i can actually buy when i start working, would look freakishly awesome with an ings+1 kit, top secret carbon fibre hood and GT-Wing, and 18 inch Yokohama Advan RS wheels.


Toyota Supra MkIV. Simple and nice. Would look better with newer headlamps though.


Nissan Skyline GT-T.


Another one.


Again.


Nissan Skyline GT-R.


And another one.


Obligatory Honda NSX. Still as good looking even after nearly 20 years.


Now this is what i hope i could achieve after an s15. Midnight purple GT-R, riding on 19 inch bronze Volk Racing TE-37s. A visual definition of perfection, definitely what can be considered as automotive pornography.