Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Recipe for Asian-Style Salmon Salad

A perfect recipe for those cold winter nights in the South of France.

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Sauce-
1 Orange
1 Lemon
1 Red Onion
5 Cloves Garlic
1 small knob of Ginger
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil

1 Salmon Fillet
1 Lettuce
1 Red Onion
1 White Onion
100g Oyster Mushrooms
1 Head of Chicory (Can be replaced with something less horrible)
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar


Sauce-
First crush the garlic and ginger. (If like me you posses very few kitchen utensils you can cut and mash them as best you can with a blunt knife. Chewing a hunk of ginger sinew is satisfyingly authentic). Save a little of the garlic, maybe 2 or 3 cloves worth, for later on.

Add the garlic and ginger to the juice of the lemon and orange.

Cut the red onion into rings and add it to the pulpy juice. I used a very small red onion so if you have one of the brutish large varieties you might want to dice it.

Now add a dash of good quality olive oil and a generous wallop of soy sauce. I recommend using expensive Japanese soy sauce however I can't comment on this with any authority, I could only afford the less expensive Chinese equivalent.

Leave the sauce aside for the flavours to proliferate. 

Heat some oil in a pan and add you garlic you saved from the sauce. When the garlic starts to soften add the white onion. I like the onion cut into big chunks but this is a matter of personal preference. 

As the onion turns transparent douse them with a large amount of soy sauce (about enough to cover the bottom of the pan). When the onion has taken on a nice brown colour add the mushrooms and cook until soft. While the mushrooms are cooking add a little rice vinegar. In a few minutes the onion and mushroom should be wilted and the soy and vinegar should have coated them in a nice thick slime.

Prepare the lettuce and chicory in a big salad bowl and rub the sauce through with your hands. I like to serve the mushrooms as a side dish but if you like your meal as a competition of overwhelming flavours you might like to add those in too.

Finally poach the salmon and place it on top while still hot. Drizzle some good olive oil over the salmon and serve with a carton of 'Extra Choc' chocolate milk. 






 

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

L'Epicerie, Avignon




As I am waiting for some food cooked by Adam, I couldn't help but look at these pictures from the delicious meal at L'Epicerie...
a) L'assiette de l'Epicerie
b) Magret de Canard
c) Huge beef fillet with cepes sauce
Tonight, we're attempting to cook bulgogi without any Korean ingredients :/
I am really missing my parents at the moment, a very unusual occurrence, but not seeing them for such a long time is really getting to me...
Oh well, at least I'll see them in 2 months or so.... and hopefully Vienna will provide me with easier travel routes to Pescara/Rome.
Must get on and fry some meat!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Poetry

To eat the food and 
Slurpeth the wine
Mayhap upon some 
Once in a lifetime

That us have chance
Here the South of France
And forth it brings
All of it and some other things

Like stinky towels not quite dry
And turkey breast not enough fry

With oh what joyous luck
For us that it does not suck

Winter in France is nearly here
To Wien our life we shall steer


Dedicated to my dear Melanie




More pictures











Some more pictures from Barcelona. 
1. Adam at the covered markets
2. Random boy falling out of fear
3. Moving hair in front of Casa Batllo 
4. Me and my two Kikkomen
5. Piercings @ the Modern Museum

    

Just watched "Location, Location, Location" - I think it's nearly time to go to bed. Have my favourite "History of Art" class tomorrow... Went to look at the archives today at the Musee du Petit Palais, at least I have loads of information on my painting now. I guess that means that this weekend will be spent analysing a whole load of info on the "Annonciation" by Bartolomeo della Gatta! Yay! 
       Tomorrow night, we're heading out with some Tunisian girls - time to finally speak some bloody French. I can't wait... This week has flown by - only 3 more weeks then PARIS!   (Unfortunately, Adam won't be coming, but it'll be worth saving those pennies for Vietnam!) So many exciting places to go and see in the next few months... I'm loving this year out, what a contrast to London. 
I do really miss London sometimes, there's nothing quite like the buzz of walking around Soho, getting coffee in Borough, shopping on Bond Street and finding little secret gardens in Kennington. I especially miss the choice of cuisines, although I must admit, Adam is a VERY good cook. Unlike me, he can actually cook food. I made beans with "Knacks" on stale bread the other day - needless to say, it ended up being thrown in the bin :( I wish I could cook - maybe I'll pop along to some cooking demonstrations at "Les Halles" on Saturday (free food!). Yummmy...

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Some pictures from Barcelona

Some snaps from Barcelona - more to follow!

Parc Güell




Me with some creepy Jesus figure @ MNAC
Us, infront of the Sagrada Familia



Yummy Food



I'm hungry so here are some photos of food I'd like to be eating right now.

1. Sushi + Sashimi



2. Bags of Macaroons




3. Korean food (Bulgogi especially!)



4. A funky tie-dye cake



Monday, November 2, 2009

Barcelona

Nous sommes allés à Barcelone pour 3 jours pendant les Vacances de Toussaint. Je dois écrire en Français parce que sinon, je pratique jamais mon français écrit (sauf dans les examens, bien sur).

Nous avons marche beaucoup, presque 50 (!) kilomètres, et maintenant = douleur dans mes pieds. Barcelone est une ville intéressante, mais pas très spéciale... Je pense que si on vit a Barcelone, ça pourrait être fantastique, mais pour une visite courte comme nous avons fait, pas fantastique.

      Donc, les points positifs de Barcelone:

L'architecture - les maisons de Gaudi, Parc Güell, la Sagrada Familia - comme dans un conte de fées. Je me sentais très jeune et libre quand j'étais dans les travaux (oeuvres d'art) de Gaudi. J'aime beaucoup aussi le mélange entre le vieux et le nouveau dans le sens architectural. 

 J’ai sommeil et demain, les cours commencement de nouveau.  xxx