Okonomiyaki. Just saying the word makes me smile.
Known as a “Japanese pizza or pancake” its my favourite dish to whip up quickly on a weekday for dinner.
A layer of crunchy cabbage cooked in a light batter, topped with bacon, shallots and Chinese sausage. Smothered in Bulldog sauce and a little bit of Kewpie mayo. Yummo!
Oh and can’t forget the fried shallots! Sprinkle them everywhere!!
Aloha! This week has been hectic. Food blogger picnic on the weekend, new BBQ to cook on, busy at work, got sick. I think that sums it all up!
Although I have tried a couple of new items this week that I haven’t had before.
Haloumi – rather salty but nice in the right meal I think. Lychee – strange but sweet! Going to give it another go.
Perfect smooth macchiato from ChillBar, Dee Why
My beautiful other half suggested we go out for dinner. As in eat out, at a location. Not at home.
It’s something we very rarely do as we’re both a bit on the antisocial side and we enjoy the comfort of our own home where we can relax and unwind. But its always great to change things up a bit!
With our hearts set on Japanese cuisine, we headed off to Dee Why and cruised the Strand. Just off a side street next door to Whitewater Grill we found Ocean Sushi, no bigger then a hole in the wall.
With a real Japanese greeting by the sushi chef behind the counter, we had great hopes of the food being authentic and delicious. We ordered two entrees to share and a bento box each for take-away. Roughly 15min which was expected.
While waiting we sipped on our drinks. Normal good ol Ginger Beer and a bottle of Ramune.
Ramune from Ocean Sushi, Dee Why
Happy New Year all! Little bit late I know, but we spent our holiday with the relatives and its near impossible to use the intertubes out there. But I’m back the first chance I’ve had so I must get points for that right?
Its a beautiful area, 10 mins from the closest town and a nice bit of land. Nice to get away from the city every now and again.
I did alot of sleeping over the short break. Sleeping, reading and eating. (Currently reading the 1st book in the Game Of Thrones series, I highly recommend it!)
There was an abundance of food so I didn’t really do any cooking while away. Roast lamb, roast pork, roast turkey, salads and coleslaws, puddings and trifle. Oh me oh my I think I gained some weight! haha.
I’ve never really been one for ‘New Year’s Resolutions’. I just never saw the point of it when I was younger, I’d forget a couple weeks down the track anyway!
But this year. This year I have a few goals I wish to achieve.
1. Lose some weight, or at least tone up a bit.
2. Eat more variety of food (I understand this counters the first goal a bit, but hey! I love food!)
3. Try cooking a whole fish in the BBQ (Got a massive new BBQ from the in-law-parentals for Christmas, lots of plans for it!)
4. Work on my baby blog. It’s coming along, we’re getting there 
5. Go away for a holiday
6. Have more people around for dinner, lunches etc. Entertain more.
7. Eat healthier
8. Stress less about work? That’s an every day resolution, not so much a new year resolution.
9. Go out dining more. So many places close by, but so lazy. Din Tai Fung, Jamie’s Italian here I come!
10. Lucky last. Be more motivated. (Code for: Be less lazy!)
Looking at those, they’re not huge things to achieve. But isn’t it best to work up from there? Don’t aim to high yadda yadda right?
It’s something. It’s a list of goals. It’ll keep me going.
One thing I’m going to have to work on straight away, is my social anxiety issues. Once you get to know me, I’m loud and I speak my mind.
But that takes a while….I’m very shy around new people. The invite came through for the Sydney Food Blogger Meetup. I’m so frakken excited! But without knowing anyone and it being a social situation….it could be interesting. Interesting in the way that I’ll be a bit split personality until then, half of me is running around all excited and trying to plan what to wear and what to cook, the other half is curled up in a ball squished in a cupboard thinking about all the awesome people that will be there and I’ll do something to make a fool of myself. Maybe trip over something and fall on a cake (it’s not unlikely, I’m rather clumsy) Or just curl up in a corner on my picnic blanket with a box on my head, a bit like “If I can’t see them they can’t see me?” lol.
I’m going though. I’m sure everyone is extremely nice and not scary monsters at all like people were back in high school or anything lol.
Enough with the crazy. Look! I got “Heston Blumenthal At Home” for Christmas!
He would have to be close to my favourite celebrity cook. Knowing that he can get to where he is in life without any professional training in food, just amazes me and fills me full of hope and motivation. It’s really a “you can do anything if you put your mind to it” type feeling.
Love it. Anyone who has seen his show, Heston’s Feast, will know what kind of fantabulous creations this man makes.
Don’t fret though, this cookbook is plenty friendly to the average home cook like me. I’m already planning to give his recipe for Triple Cooked Chips a go, and ice cream made with dry ice. It looks amazing!
So I hope you all out there had a great Christmas and looking forward to some good time in 2012!
I’d love to hear any of your New Year’s resolutions, I’m sure they’re a bit more exciting than mine! lol
Peace out!
XX
