tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29372373717583923012011-08-02T10:26:50.779+08:00Hold the BeefConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-3400737589252459032010-05-21T14:53:00.000+08:002010-05-21T14:53:06.309+08:00I've moved, I've moved!New site up and running, please update your links and join me at:
http://www.holdthebeef.comConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-30618850902778211272010-05-12T18:00:00.015+08:002010-05-14T14:31:05.558+08:00International Dumpling Incident - ZwetschkenknödelWhat I did on my holidays by Conor
Because I was so good I got to go to a far away place called Austria where the boys wear funny shorts and the girls have pretty hair. Mum says that there was a nice lady called Maria who used to live there but a dog bit her and she got stung by a bee so she doesn't live there any more. There is lots of nice food in Austria. I ate lots of tacos and corn and Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-12372333272805478802010-05-07T15:52:00.001+08:002010-05-15T12:00:46.862+08:00Subha Aluth Avuruddhak WewaDid you make any new year's resolutions this year? Planned to reduce your macaron intake? Wean yourself off Gossip Girl? Combat the Tight Pants Fairy's evil work? And did your good plans disappear as quickly as that box of macarons and the sight of your toes?
Well fear not, because the new year has only just begun! The Sri Lankan New Year begins on either 13th or 14th of April each year, with Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-23483799044946252242010-05-04T22:05:00.001+08:002010-05-07T15:54:33.021+08:00Gently rapping at the pantry door Can you spot the teddies discussing which one of them is going to make a dash for the almond croissants?
Playing host to the annual Vincent Cappucino Festival since 2008, Angove Street has turned into quite the bustling cafe strip over the past few years. Its still has a lot to offer if your house is overrun with giant pests, your Swedish car has broken down or you're in need of a cold beerConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-19866933857908127232010-04-27T19:07:00.001+08:002010-05-07T15:53:54.982+08:00Master Farter turns 1 (and so does something else)
Just over one year ago we had a new addition to our grizzled old family - my little nephew Alby was born. Alby is the first grandchild for my parents and my sister-in-law's parents, and his arrival was quite exciting for everyone - particularly as it was a somewhat difficult pregnancy and he came out to say hello to us all a little bit before he was fully cooked.
Luckily for him, a healthy Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-76861470858525621692010-04-25T19:53:00.001+08:002010-04-27T19:07:57.796+08:00Foodie Exchange - The Italian JobI have a secret admirer. An Italian secret admirer. An Italian secret admirer who sends me kisses.
So, perhaps this person is more of a friend than an admirer, more female than I prefer my admirers to be, and not so much secret as openly talking about sending me things, but she is definitely Italian. And she definitely sent me kisses.
Elga from Semi di Papavero is a talented photographer, and Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-11451680637776761302010-04-18T09:00:00.011+08:002010-04-27T19:08:31.122+08:00International Pizza Pie Incident - Poached Pear Pizza PieAfter the success of our the Gnocchi Party organised by Penny of jeroxie (addictive & consuming) we decided to keep our party hats on and Lambrusco (the party wine, don't you know) flowing and throw regular International ____ Incident parties. We already have parties lined up for dumplings, noodles and tacos, though I'm not sure if spaghetti is going to get a run (sorry Axl).
First up though, isConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-84065946286699595922010-04-16T17:33:00.001+08:002010-04-27T19:09:10.978+08:00Gingervitis and poppy seed teethWinter may well be coming, and thoughts are turning to slow braises washed down with enough red wine to bring a flush to your face, but please spare a thought for ice cream as the temperature drops. Too often it is neglected at this time of year, replaced by the sexy upstart churros or a seductively hot chocolate fondant.
Sure, you can argue that ice cream hogs the limelight through the summer, Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-21425824338556045162010-04-11T22:28:00.001+08:002010-04-27T19:09:40.250+08:00John Street CafeI generally like to have a bit of fun with the titles of my posts. They might be a little groan-worthy at times but I figure it's best to start off how you aim to continue. For this review though, I aimed to spend as much time coming up with a post title as the owners of the restaurant did coming up with their business name.
John Street Cafe is located on John Street, in Cottesloe. It is a cafe.Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-56742348815029104882010-04-06T17:40:00.000+08:002010-04-06T17:40:33.256+08:00Happy Easter!Happy belated Easter! Anyone else been visited by the Tight Pants Fairy as well as the Easter Bunny?
I have to admit I dropped the ball (egg?) with making Easter treats this year. Across the globe food bloggers have been..
buoying dairy farmers and cardiologists through the global financial crisis with trays of delicious butter-hungry hot cross buns,
showing you don't need yeast to have a Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-48897405022980056262010-03-29T22:36:00.001+08:002010-04-06T17:42:13.366+08:00The most popular of all slices
I've spoken before about my old faithful Australian Women's Weekly Cooking Class Cookbook and how it has served my Mum, my sister and I well over the years. One of the heroes of this cookbook is the Vanilla Slice, which I am sure my Mum has made over a hundred times since that magical day she first made them - I can picture her now, swaying along to the Bee Gees and getting cornflour all over Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-9131136105791512262010-03-24T08:35:00.000+08:002010-03-24T08:35:16.022+08:00Happy 101Are you happy? It's a question that is difficult to answer in one word, unless you are currently in a very polarising situation (just been given a piece of delicious cake, just had your scoop of ice cream plummet from your cone etc). We all have periods in our lives when it is necessary to consciously think of the things that really make us happy and that we should do our best to remember when Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-26702595258799624392010-03-21T00:43:00.002+08:002010-03-29T22:39:36.025+08:00It's nobody's business but the TurksUnfortunately my knowledge is not in fact boundless, and Turkish food is one of the many things I am quite ignorant about (like rugby, and imperial units). In my defence there isn't exactly an overabundance of Turkish restaurants in Perth beyond the usual takeaway döner kebab and gözleme places, and these days I'm not the late night kebab consumer that I once was. I was pretty happy therefore to Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-27960337290991202332010-03-13T22:59:00.006+08:002010-03-21T00:47:44.802+08:00It's a rocky road to brownie town
In the white marshmallow corner, William Dreyer, one of the founders of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holding. In the pink marshmallow corner, George Farren of Fenton's Creamery.
Which of these likely lads actually invented rocky road ice cream? Dreyerists believe he created it in March 1929 by adding walnuts (later almonds) to his chocolate ice cream, then chopping up some marshmallows with his Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-63430732350308953602010-03-11T17:10:00.002+08:002010-03-20T12:53:54.934+08:00Something's cooking in the kitsch'n
When asked by the West Australian in July last year about the new small bar he was planning to open in Leederville, Iain Lawless said it was going to be a bit more bohemian and interesting than what was currently on offer to Perth eaters and drinkers, saying
"Unfortunately, most of the bars and restaurants here look as though Jamie Durie did the fit-out. You look at it and go, 'Oh that's nice - Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-68154740937662648342010-03-08T18:29:00.001+08:002010-03-13T12:32:09.056+08:00Polly wants a pastry houseOne of the big hits of the food I made for my pirate party were the Parrot Pies. I made 72 of them and they disappeared before you could say yo ho ho (though not before some of my guests were able to drink a bottle of rum).
This is a pretty easy, cheaty and yet delicious peanut satay mix that you could put to a few different uses. I might possibly have eaten some of the "excess" mix with some Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-40589508550504101672010-03-05T10:48:00.001+08:002010-03-09T09:54:53.224+08:00Is that a fig in your pocket?While I've been busy at home eating my bowls of porridge in front of my computer screen, my list of breakfast places I want to try has been growing longer and longer. On top of the list was Greenhouse, which I managed to tick off in fine fishy fashion on my birthday, and next on the list was The Naked Fig Cafe in Swanbourne.
Since it opened fairly recently, I have heard quite mixed reviews on Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-83193151627234188722010-02-28T11:23:00.002+08:002010-03-05T11:29:39.838+08:00Gnocch gnocch, who's there?Everyone! It's a gnocchi party!
Gnocchi is part of the group of dishes that hang out with the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead, as when it is good it is very very good, and when it is bad it is horrid. This quality makes it quite a scary undertaking, and there seems to be a lot of people who have put it in the too-hard basket. I was one of them until Penny Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-5111688593509393542010-02-26T09:50:00.008+08:002010-03-01T19:22:36.550+08:00Are we Amusé?I'm a lucky girl. My eatathon of a birthday last week started off with a fantastic breakfast with friends at Greenhouse, morning tea was a Greenhouse donut and Lindt Chilli Chocolate, lunch was another fantastic meal at West End Deli in West Perth, the afternoon offered me a massage and coconut bubble tea, and then I was whisked off to a mystery location for dinner. I was told to dress nicely andConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-40205891869007213852010-02-22T19:12:00.004+08:002010-02-26T10:20:57.760+08:00People in green houses......shouldn't umm.. waste carbon?
When people asked me how I was going to spend my birthday last week, I'm sure it surprised noone that my plans included going out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After recovering from my pirate party, I put a little more thought into this and decided to try the breakfast menu at Greenhouse in the CBD after hearing good things about it, and falling for one of theConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-11015894714444320212010-02-16T19:16:00.003+08:002010-02-26T10:14:17.328+08:00The Dread Cap'n Conor turns One Score and Eight
Gather round lads and lasses
with tankards of rum
and I'll tell ye a tale tall and true,
Of a great ship that set out
to pillage and burn,
with the dread Cap'n Conor and crew.
The crew had been gathered
from far and beyond,
the Captain had sent out a missive -
they'd must be decked out
in their finest attire
(the Kiwi was even imprissive).
Poop deck was scrubbed cleanConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-51786808269156076562010-02-16T17:06:00.003+08:002010-02-26T10:12:25.649+08:00Start spreading the news, I'm eating todayI want to be a part of it,
Foodie Exchange!
Yes, I was the very happy recipient of another foodie exchange parcel a couple of weeks ago (following the success of my exchanges with Quebec, Arizona and Toronto). In fact, it was waiting for me at the Post Office when I arrived back from Melbourne, so it was a nice little way to keep my holiday (eating) spirit alive.
This fabulous parcel was sentConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-3041993931210461272010-02-09T09:36:00.007+08:002010-02-16T19:17:32.540+08:00Melbourne: Flavours of Grand the SamsAs I'm sure my regular readers and friends are well aware, given that I have not been able to contain my excitement and bragging, my sister and I were recently in Melbourne for our very first Australian Open experience. It was a week of awesomeness and our thoughts are already turning to next year's trip.
As amazing as it was to have two massively solid days of tennis action, it was also a Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-46792323462660330932010-02-04T10:05:00.006+08:002010-02-09T09:39:44.542+08:00Figs deserve stuffing like Hugo deserves a slapMy book club met last night to discuss our latest reading experience - The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Opinions of the book ranged from loving it to hating it, and it is filled with characters that you'd happily punch in the face so it was a lively discussion. As per usual the talking was interspersed with much eating as we all enjoyed the dishes that everyone had brought along to offset their Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-30420402894184743942010-01-28T07:00:00.002+08:002010-02-04T10:07:38.882+08:00Daring Bakers hit the Olympic snowfieldsThe January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.
A very timely choice given the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics, Nanaimo Bars are a classic Canadian dessert and are named after their apparent Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-68585802371660057892010-01-21T13:37:00.005+08:002010-02-04T10:08:05.065+08:00Re-Inventing the Lamington 2010
You'd be forgiven for taking us Australians as a bunch of tightarses. Our favourite biscuit is basically oats stuck together with butter and sugar, our favourite spread is something we need never fear of having to share with others when living overseas, we fry up a few onions, tomatoes and other basic staples and try and pass it off as chicken (albeit with a nomenclatural disclaimer), and one ofConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-13013475759926015612010-01-15T10:35:00.001+08:002010-01-22T08:14:58.690+08:00Happy 80th Nanna!I enjoy entertaining friends. Feeding them when they come around, I mean, not tripping down the stairs in front of them or having a perfect bite of food fall off my fork just before getting to my mouth when out for a nice meal together. Having said this, when my Nanna turned 80 last month it was just a little too soon after Mum's birthday extravaganza for me to think about cooking for more than aConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-51966766211399600922010-01-11T23:46:00.005+08:002010-01-15T10:35:51.436+08:00Foodie Exchange - Degrassi style"Everybody wants something, they'll never give up.
Everybody wants something, they'll take your money and never give up" (dun! dun! dun!)
If you're of my era and grew up in Australia (or Canada I assume), they lyrics will whisk you back to a time of big hair and big pants, and to TV shows that tackled the big issues - Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High (and also the lesser known The Kids of Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-84415767609173603012010-01-04T22:14:00.003+08:002010-01-12T13:40:29.439+08:00Degolicious Dining at Jackson's RestaurantA few years ago I spent a weekend down south with three friends, which we spent eating Miami Bakehouse pies for almost every single meal, washing them down with copious amounts of wine, supplementing our diet with Cheezels, cheese and crackers, watching 80s movies and thinking the house we were staying in was going to blow into the ocean from the gale force winds battering the coast at the time. Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-11448927505354305792009-12-31T09:54:00.022+08:002010-01-02T15:27:49.103+08:00Ho ho ho and a bottle of champersI kept putting off this post as I've been feeling a bit lazy of late, and been somewhat busy eating, catching up with family and friends, getting heatstroke playing tennis, driving, braving the city for some bargain hunting and constructing an anti-sunlight device for my bedroom consisting of sheets sewn together in a umm.. rustic manner. As you might possibly be aware, today is New Year's Eve, Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-53131869681593933362009-12-26T11:34:00.025+08:002010-01-02T15:28:04.167+08:00Daring Bakers turn ArchitectsThe December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.
Yay! Gingerbread houses! I feel like I've done my dash waxing lyrical Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-81226326532505101872009-12-23T16:09:00.001+08:002010-01-02T15:28:17.549+08:00Aussing up ChristmasAs I said before, this year's Christmas baking was a bit of a rushed job, and although I would have liked to try out a new Christmassy recipe, I just kept things simple and made a tried and true crowd pleaser. The final component of this year's Christmas baking parcels, making friends with the Fruit Mince Shortbreads and the Gingerbread Biscuits, was therefore really not at all Christmassy but Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-80343367361016634232009-12-20T22:34:00.002+08:002010-01-02T15:28:31.731+08:00Gingerbread you can catchI didn't really like gingerbread when I was little, but whenever we went to Pizza Hut I begged and pleaded for a Gingerbread Man. I'd eat all the icing, and pick at the gingerbread, wishing there was more icing. Thinking back now, I'm not sure whether I didn't really like gingerbread, or if I just didn't really like Pizza Hut gingerbread. My days of thinking that Pizza Hut's all-you-can-eat was Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-57112912668506555572009-12-19T11:20:00.004+08:002010-01-02T15:28:54.313+08:00Fruit Mince Shortbreads
Ahh, yes, Christmas is almost here. You may be mistaken for thinking that I was taking an anti-Christmas stance, what with the distinct lack of Christmas themed posts on this here blog. Although I haven't exactly been prancing around the streets draped in tinsel and merrily singing Feliz Navidad, I'm no scrooge and my non-festiveness has merely been a matter of wedding fever having taken over Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-1591674638567358992009-12-15T09:27:00.002+08:002010-01-12T13:39:36.456+08:00The CabinOne of the new small bars to open up in the Perth area this year, The Cabin Winebar and Bistro was recently awarded the best contemporary bar at the Australian Hotels Association Awards For Excellence (sharing the prize with The George in the city). I was meant to have dinner at The Cabin a few months ago with a group of friends, but that was during my period of perpetual illness and I didn't Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-21359103174967741912009-12-10T16:47:00.014+08:002009-12-10T18:12:55.861+08:00Bali Wrap Up (sigh)So, after our dinner at Warung Eropa we spent a few hours digesting and lounging around before deciding that the night was not yet over and a night time visit to the beach was in order. We drove down to Ku De Ta (where we had enjoyed cocktails on Day 1, and dinner on Day 2), parked the car and headed down to the beach. We walked and talked for a couple of hours, enjoying the magic of the ocean atConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-19024064446544186912009-12-08T11:26:00.001+08:002009-12-08T15:55:44.215+08:00Bali Day 3 - Febri's Spa, The Samaya, Warung EropaAnother day in Bali, another buffet breakfast. This was my favourite so far, with lots of sautéed veges, chunks of baked fish and thin noodles. I also got some bacon, some sort of potato thing with pork floss and a piece of french toast with I tasted but found dry and bland so I left most of it so that I had room for more veges and fish.I also had a nice plate of fruit with each breakfast, Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-50234105731957420182009-12-04T17:16:00.001+08:002009-12-04T17:16:00.537+08:00Bali Day 2 - Balangan Beach, Ku De Ta, MÉTIS BaliOn offer in one of the bain marie trays during breakfast on our second day in Bali was "baked beans". I was curious - would the Balinese really be able to make decent baked beans? Baked beans can be highly controversial. In my opinion, Heinz baked beans are your nice standard baked beans, great on toast for a quick breakfast or as part of a nice big fry-up. I've tried home brand ones, and other Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-56811672656487472652009-12-02T08:05:00.020+08:002009-12-02T14:05:29.592+08:00Bali Day 1 - La Lucciola, bcco, Ku De Ta and Made's WarungOh Bali. Was I really there last week, or was it just a lovely warm dream? If I really was there, why did I come home? If I really wasn't there, why didn't someone wake me up if I was sleeping for 5 days?Last Wednesday night my soon-to-be-married friend C and I jetted our way to Bali, leaving behind everything we'd been stressing over for the last few weeks and months and letting out a sigh of Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-37671035010409162312009-11-21T21:51:00.029+08:002009-11-23T20:43:02.238+08:00Getting my goat at Palmerston PalaceRoll up, roll up, get your hairy rancid goat here! The perfect opportunity to catch up on late night infomercials, you'll be up all night with this little beauty! Reaquaint yourself intimately with your toilet bowl! Amaze your friends with shocking weightloss! Ever wanted to go vegetarian but just couldn't stop eating meat? This slimey little number will send you straight to the soy aisle!I had Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-17533162663056491892009-11-18T08:07:00.008+08:002009-11-21T18:58:41.232+08:00FYI, I'm OTTWoo, another excuse to cry 'Hot dog, I'm a weiner'! Kath from A cupcake or two was kind enough to pass on her "Over the Top!" blog award to me which I gratefully and happily accept, noting with relief that it's not an "Ova the Top!" or "Over tha Topp!" blog award, reminiscent of the "Kreativ Blogger" award that the lovely Rilsta of My Food Trail passed onto me a few months back.Thanks very much Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-9229418923334544722009-11-15T19:35:00.002+08:002009-11-15T22:21:10.303+08:00Pull my PorkOh dear, I seem to have lashings of delicious pulled pork leftover from Mum's party, whatever shall I do? I think I'd best have something to eat whilst I consider this dilemma..After my sister told me that she had put leftover pulled pork to delicious use by making some nachos with leftover corn chips (from the platters I forgot to photograph), cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and avocados turned Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-9515274591230533322009-11-13T08:56:00.000+08:002009-11-13T08:56:22.345+08:00Ginnie Joan's Swanky SpeakeasyIt was a hot day. It's always hot in Gero, and today it was blowing more hot air than the mayor on election day. I was sitting at my desk with a pitcher of melted ice, sweating like a hungry fat guy at a hot dog stand where there are only two weenies left.. and he’s third in line. The door squeaked on its hinges and I looked up to see her walking in, the kind of broad that could get a guy into Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-62125204198824056982009-11-11T07:46:00.008+08:002009-11-11T15:35:13.842+08:00Foodie ExchangeIt started with an innocuous little food parcel exchange between two mail-loving food bloggers - Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz and Natalie from Natalie's Killer Cuisine - and now a beautiful Foodie Exchange Group has blossomed! Combining the joy of discovering new food with the excitement of receiving a parcel in the mail, what could be better? As desribed on the group page, "this is a group forConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-84859203980629529282009-11-04T16:00:00.002+08:002009-11-04T16:00:06.867+08:00Lemons, lemons everywhere...Yes, dust off your microplanes and zesters, we are well and truly back into lemon season. People are bringing bags of lemons into work, making as many preserved lemons as they can squeeze into their store of empty jars, making babies make funny faces by feeding them lemon slices and advertising free lemons on the uni trading list (which by the way has had some hilarious things for sale on it Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-56073473180598788972009-11-01T20:59:00.018+08:002009-11-02T20:57:32.039+08:00To Market, To Market (to get a big belly)I had legitimate reasons to head to Subi Farmers Market again this Saturday morning other than wanting to eat pizza for breakfast, really I did. My sister and I are catering for our Mum's 60th birthday party this coming weekend, and one of the guests can't tolerate gluten or lactose, so I wanted to see what Sophistibakes Gluten-Free Bakery had to offer. I also needed some fruit and veges, and Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-22154181179140344712009-10-27T09:02:00.013+08:002009-10-27T21:12:43.104+08:00October Daring Bakers' Challenge - MacaronsChoc-mint macaronThe 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.Oh yes. Macarons. Seemingly the holy grail of the biscuit world. I've been wanting to try my hand at making them for some time now but had never quite got around to it. Fear? Possibly. I wasn't Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-82039930094579181092009-10-25T22:13:00.000+08:002009-10-25T23:19:11.180+08:00Subi Farmers MarketThe Subi Farmers Market opened its gates for the first time on Saturday 17 October, and I went to check it out yesterday to see if it lived up to how good its website seemed to suggest it would be. Unable to sleep in with the early spring sun glaring through my blinds, I was at the market bang on 8am with a hungry belly, hoping that this expedition would not be a repeat of last week's hungover Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-37195044865448628872009-10-23T16:01:00.005+08:002009-10-23T16:59:03.754+08:00Cakey La-RhuAnd so continues my week of cooking with my friend's garden produce. Next up: rhubarb!I eat a lot of rhubarb, having it every morning on my porridge and sometimes for a snack with some fruit and yoghurt or ice cream, and I pretty much always have some stewed rhubarb sitting in the fridge. I figured this rhubarb deserved a little more special treatment than sitting in my fridge and getting ploppedConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-70022436669710880332009-10-21T20:58:00.005+08:002009-10-21T21:19:57.904+08:00Pork and fennel are BFFSo, I had a nice big hairy fennel bulb sitting in the fridge, waiting to meet that special someone. This particular fennel bulb was pretty special, having been brought all the way to me from my friend's garden far, far away, so I wouldn't be happy with it settling for just anyone. Luckily I had some nice pork loin steaks sitting in the freezer just waiting to come out and play. I'm not a huge fanConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-9719466974131369132009-10-19T22:37:00.002+08:002009-10-19T23:23:04.376+08:00Oxford St Market + Generous Friend = Tasty DinnerThe Oxford St Market in Leederville has been in existence for a few months now, and I finally got around to checking it out on Sunday with my friend C. After arriving, finding parks and beginning our perusal, we both realised that we'd spent all our cash at the pub the previous night and so had to immediately turn around and leave to address this situation. I then discovered that my usual WestpacConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-74875178663547929672009-10-18T17:44:00.004+08:002009-10-18T19:53:07.117+08:00Delving even further back...Oh yeah, I also used to live in Sweden. I was on exchange there for a semester during my undergraduate degree, and lived in a 'Flogsta corridor' with 11 other students. I'll spare you the tales of cleaning rosters, people waking me consistently in the wee hours by rocking out to Tina Turner and Rod Stewart, and making the most of our rooftop sauna. Mine was not a typical Flogsta corridor, that Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-71127744069535787092009-10-16T19:45:00.037+08:002009-10-17T10:11:57.154+08:00Recently a blogger, but always an eaterI started this blog 6 months ago, but looking through any of my photo albums will reveal I have been harbouring a habit of photographing my meals for some time now. I'm not sure when it started, or why. I mean, really, it's kind of weird isn't it?Weird or not, I've been meaning to get around to putting up some of my old pre-blog food shots up here for a while. Well, Mardi at Eat, live, travel, Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-49242910450302690092009-10-15T17:42:00.011+08:002010-01-12T13:38:44.729+08:00Slow Food, Good FoodLast night a friend and I attended a free public lecture presented by Carlo Petrini, founder and international president of Slow Food. If you are not aware, Slow Food is "a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-43539758716002996792009-10-09T16:46:00.001+08:002009-10-09T16:53:36.382+08:00Soggy Bottom Boys'twas the night before meetingand all through the housenot a creature was stirringexcept for a frustrated sleep-deprived baker It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'd been having far too good a run of late, what with all these new recipes over the past few months turning out beautifully on the first attempt, and I'll admit that I was starting to get a little cocky. Oh don't get me wrong, I Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-85756646759323760912009-10-02T21:33:00.013+08:002010-01-12T13:38:06.866+08:00Phwoar, Phi YenI'm lucky enough to have some of Perth's best Vietnamese (in my humble gaijin (what's the Vietnamese equivalent of gaijin? (how many brackets within brackets can I have before it gets too confusing?)) opinion) within a short stroll from my doorstep at Phi Yen in Northbridge. My parents are in town this weekend, so I got to share this delicious knowledge with them for lunch today. After a nice Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-82580086114670549762009-09-29T16:45:00.021+08:002009-09-30T11:59:45.243+08:00A feast for a lost friendThis post is dedicated to a lovely, friendly, honest, kind friend who last week was taken from us far too early. He was one of those people who everyone has a nice word for, and his death was tragically sudden and unexpected. He died in his home country of Sri Lanka, and I was struck with a feeling of not knowing how best to say goodbye to him given the distance between here and there.The last Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-92127723941347003892009-09-27T00:10:00.002+08:002009-09-27T00:21:29.320+08:00September Daring Bakers' ChallengeThe September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. Thanks Steph! 'twas a brilliant challenge!Christmas vol-au-vent, with his little cap discarded carelesslyYep, it's been another month, and luckily this time I had Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-3367664238818387552009-09-23T21:59:00.025+08:002009-09-25T10:52:30.001+08:00Lamb StroganovskiAlthough I admit I'm somewhat bummed at having yet another cold, it's not all bad news as it lead to last night's meal in a couple of ways. Firstly, as I alluded to in my previous post, I've been watching a bit of Bizarre Foods lately, and saw the St Petersburg episode the other day. Apart from teaching me to never, ever consider eating pickled lamprey (I think he described it as "horrifying", Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-57615189688792158692009-09-21T09:30:00.011+08:002010-01-12T13:37:36.105+08:00West End GirlAfter first reading about West End Deli on Palace Foods a while back, I decided it sounded like my kind of place and within a couple of weeks I'd made it down there to try out their lunch menu with a friend. Somehow I seem to have forgotten to write about it since then, so hopefully this month+ old review is still current. Well, we're pretty much still enjoying(?) the same weather we were hiding Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-63459853047497484872009-09-15T07:46:00.019+08:002010-01-12T13:37:04.294+08:00Ha-lu-lujahSpring has sprung! Well, technically spring has sprung, but somebody better get Spotty to go tell Mother Nature because it doesn't quite feel like it yet. Regardless, a friend and I thought we'd celebrate spring's arrival the best way we knew how - some good old fashioned eatin'.
Another friend recently told me about a Japanese restaurant called Ha-Lu up the northern end of Oxford St, almost Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-68705924720788954432009-09-11T08:44:00.010+08:002009-09-11T09:41:01.005+08:00A Podtastic BirthdayI awoke this morning feeling hungover. Having not enjoyed even a drop of booze last night, I can only think that this is a sugar-induced hangover, induced by the massive slice of cake I scoffed around midnight.It was a friend's birthday, and prior to midnight cake activities we first celebrated by going to The Ellington Jazz Club. I've been meaning to get down there since it opened around the Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-77503462490352583672009-09-06T08:39:00.008+08:002010-01-12T13:36:39.500+08:00Let's get botanical, tanical..Given how long I've been sick this winter, I've fallen out of my usual 6am pump class routine in favour for lounging around in bed until a much more civilised hour (well, not that much more civilised in the past couple of weeks as my powerpoint slides had been calling to me, requiring revision). This all changed on Friday though, when I pulled myself out of bed into the freezing early morning airConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-32052594751188697562009-09-04T16:04:00.001+08:002009-09-04T16:52:46.369+08:00Like a phoenix (chook) from the ashes (oven)What a wonderful few days I've had, and it feels so good to top them off by finally having time to spend on here! I've been a hermit for the past few weeks, as I picked up yet another winter illness (strep throat this time... it seems I'm ticking them all off and trying for a gold star) and also have been incredibly busy preparing for my PhD proposal defence which was held on Monday. As far as Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-10835014980181050812009-08-22T21:48:00.006+08:002009-08-22T22:20:54.149+08:002009 Vendy AwardsI just read about the Vendy Awards on the New York food blog Bromography and thought it was worth sharing with you. I had no idea that New York held these awards, but I guess I'm not really surprised to learn that they exist. Essentially it's a big day of celebrating the street food of New York, culminating in a cook-off between the best street food vendors in the city.I wonder who the finalistsConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-67250773344043424192009-08-21T21:07:00.003+08:002010-01-12T13:35:47.207+08:00Tarting it upI'd been meaning to get to Tarts for a meal ever since reading a good review on Breakfast in Perth, and realising it was literally a few minutes walk from my apartment. I actually ended up having lunch there a few weeks ago with some friends prior to checking out the Made on the Left market at the Hyde Park Hotel. My friends and I all really enjoyed our meals (tarts and pies with salad) but I wasConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-78571504989426973052009-08-17T17:40:00.015+08:002009-08-17T21:26:28.170+08:00Cupcake Day for the RSPCA 2009Yes that's right, not only is 17 August the birthday of Davy Crockett, the day Azaria Chamberlain got a little too friendly with a dingo and the day the truly unforgettable Dominican Republic's national anthem Himno Nacional was first performed in public but today was also the Cupcake Day for the RSPCA. An excuse for people around the country to stuff themselves with tasty, tasty cupcakes, all Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-54125639680620566952009-08-11T22:19:00.001+08:002010-01-12T13:33:14.423+08:00Yum yum dim sum
I have a confession to make. I am 27 years old and only had my first dim sum experience in May of this year. I blame this gaping hole in my culinary appreciation entirely on the fact that I grew up in the country, where this cuisine was found only in the hearts and minds of those who had experienced such delights in the big smoke.
I have to admit the whole dim sum thing intimidated me a little.Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-72077430446010107372009-08-09T21:08:00.005+08:002009-08-09T21:50:32.325+08:00Sunday night eggiesSunday nights, especially Sunday nights in winter, are great for bringing out the lazy cook in us all. Tinned soup, toasted sandwiches, cereal, frozen whatevers are all fair game for dinner on a Sunday without fear of anyone judging your cuisine creativity. One of my favourite knock-up Sunday dinners (or anyday lunches or breakfasts) is an omelette filled with tasty things.This particular Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-51223043010086140252009-08-08T10:12:00.000+08:002009-08-08T12:14:36.437+08:00Ooh I get full with a little help from my friendsI've noticed a few little changes to eating out at friend's houses since I started this blog. There's the questions of whether I will be bringing my camera (mais oui!), arguments by my hosts over which chop is the most photogenic, the use of special crockery and of course trying to get the best lighting to show off the food.Here is just a small selection of the deliciousness I've had served to meConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-78454136365791620162009-08-05T23:06:00.003+08:002010-01-12T13:32:02.307+08:00The Merchant of Venison(Disclaimer: this review may or may not actually include any venison)
I seem to have a recurring theme with my friend C that we decide to go out for dinner at the last minute on a Saturday night, and then can't actually get a table at anywhere we feel like eating. We went through this familiar process a couple of weeks ago, with the opening line of my phone calls getting more and more pathetic..Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-88455412020091088022009-08-03T23:20:00.011+08:002009-08-04T21:06:51.163+08:00Sunday night pizza specialI have mentioned this before but my sister makes a mean pizza, with a beautiful crisp base and well selected fresh toppings. I was therefore very conscious of turning out some tasty creations when I decided to make pizza for dinner last Sunday when she was staying at my house. I already had a trump card - smoked salmon - which she absolutely loves but had not had on pizza before. I could probablyConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-66416805252047795552009-08-03T20:49:00.012+08:002009-08-03T23:10:04.397+08:00One hump or two?The Camel Bar has been open in Geraldton since 2005 but I only recently had my first meal there while in town for my sister's birthday. I've actually tried to eat there before on previous Gero sojourns but have been turned away as the kitchen was closing (how outrageous of me to try and eat lunch at 2pm) or haven't been able to get a table (apparently quite a difficult task on Mondays or Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-5375094737309937982009-07-31T16:05:00.000+08:002009-07-31T16:28:26.345+08:00July Daring Baker's Challenge - Part 2As promised, here is the final exciting installment in the tale of the July Daring Bakers' Challenge! Thanks again to Nicole at Sweet Tooth for hosting the challenge this month.Well, I'm sure you've all been on the edges of your collective seats wondering how my new oven was going to perform on its maiden baking voyage. Would I be wishing I'd never let Mr Dodgy Oven go out to pasture? Would I be Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-84522436005755611572009-07-28T18:45:00.000+08:002009-07-28T23:04:26.392+08:00Bella Vista for my sisterMy sister's birthday weekend celebrations began in earnest with dinner two Friday's ago (yes, I've taken a while to get this written) at Bella Vista. I've been a fan of this place for a while now, as it delivers the best coffee in Geraldton (using a special Five Senses blend) and I've enjoyed many a delicious meal lunch or dinner here as well (their crab angelhair pasta dish is crabbily angelic).Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-66255515191805034762009-07-27T09:25:00.001+08:002009-07-27T09:25:00.211+08:00July Daring Baker's Challenge - Part 1The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. Thanks for hosting Nicole, and for giving me an excuse to try my hand at making marshmallow (and a reason to use such technical baking language as "soft ball stage").Yep, it's been a whole month since my very firstConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-40340826351911287792009-07-24T21:56:00.000+08:002009-07-24T21:56:00.982+08:00Irish Cupcakes, to be sure An Australian, a Scotsman and an Irishman all walk into a bar. The Irishman orders a pint of Guinness, the Scotsman orders a Lochan Ora and the Australian orders a cupcake. I've been wanting to try my hand at making some Guinness cupcakes with Baileys frosting since coming across the recipe numerous times on various blogs a month or two ago, and my sister's birthday celebration weekend was the Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-61363155607803604182009-07-24T10:25:00.000+08:002009-07-24T15:27:38.314+08:00L'Italiano aka "that new Italian place in town"I went out for lunch with my Mum last Friday, a treat that I don't often get the chance to do with over 400 km generally stretched between us. I'd like to say I treated my Mum out to lunch, but I think in fact she treated me. One day I'll be a non-student type and have piles of cash to fling around on my family!There's a new Italian place in Geraldton that Mum has been keen to try out for a few Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-32259705435500604712009-07-22T21:30:00.002+08:002009-07-22T22:43:11.809+08:00Flying high with hunger pangsI spent the last weekend in Geraldton to celebrate my sister's birthday, and I actually flew there for a change as I picked up some not-too-ridiculously-priced tickets when Skywest was having a sale a couple of months ago. My e-ticket promised me a meal on both my flights, which seems a little silly as it doesn't take much more than an hour to fly between Perth and Geraldton. Despite the possibleConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-4141482036184883762009-07-20T16:12:00.011+08:002009-07-21T09:04:49.694+08:00Hot dog! I'm a kreativ weiner!I was super happy to be nominated by Rilsta of 'My Food Trail' for a Kreativ Blogger Award recently (although if I'm to be perfectly honest, I think I'd rather be a "Creative" Blogger. I can't seem to uncover the reasoning behind the spelling, but I guess we can just be grateful that it's not "Kreativ Blogga"). I only recently discovered Rilsta's blog when I came across one of her articles on Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-84108179891762176742009-07-19T20:50:00.007+08:002009-07-20T13:59:31.373+08:00Playtime at the SebelMy life changed last Friday in a way that cannot be reversed. I discovered Coffin Bay oysters. Well, to be perfectly honest my brother-in-law introduced me to them a couple of years ago, but clearly the years had somehow inexplicably eroded the magical memory because I should have been dreaming about these babies every night since I first ate one.The terrible, tragic consequence of having Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-83369690681375201402009-07-17T11:38:00.005+08:002009-07-19T21:40:47.450+08:00Market mega-breakfast and a little pub grubLast Friday was a day of dizzying highs and horrendous lows. Well, the lows were actually dizzying as well, but I'll get to those later. First, we eat!After a second night of terrible sleep, despite the numerous pillows ordered from the hotel's pillow menu, I dragged myself to check out the hotel's gym facilities and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was actually reasonably equipped. An Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-51065031235957267382009-07-15T19:44:00.005+08:002009-07-15T22:02:33.508+08:00Buffet snobbery begone!I think sadly that it's far to say that food cooked for large groups of people tends to fall short of the quality we like to see in meals when dining out. I'm sure we've all been at a wedding or ball where the food cost a bomb and tasted like one too. I for one have scored a worm in my salad at my high school graduation dinner, a beach worth of sand in my lettuce at a friend's wedding, was at a Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-80784550880075094772009-07-13T22:23:00.010+08:002009-07-14T00:23:19.840+08:00It ain't a party without party eggsI interrupt this series of Adelaide posts with a little overdue update on our latest bookclub meeting. Our last book was 'Revolutionary Road' by Richard Yates, which has apparently been a popular bookclub choice lately judging by the difficulty in finding a copy anywhere! Although I can't say I found reading the book an enjoyable experience, I'm glad that I did and it was a great book to discuss.Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-19800598384670622072009-07-11T19:40:00.023+08:002009-07-12T18:27:38.892+08:00The Chef and our BelliesThere aren't a huge number of really great cooking shows available to those of us Aussies restricted to free-to-air TV. One that I do like to watch, on the rare occasions I am home when it is on, is The Cook and the Chef on ABC. Sure, the voices of Maggie Beer (the cook) and Simon Bryant (the chef) may be a little irritating at first and heaven help you if you happen to not be a fan of verjuice, Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-78111745746406058512009-07-11T17:55:00.011+08:002009-07-11T22:01:51.941+08:00Radelaide, where the trains are taxisAdelaide is not all churches and German sausages and dodgy water, hooray! It is also amazing cheeses and meats and fruits and vegies (and of course wines and Coopers beer), as I discovered to my delight over the past couple of days.(Well, as I type this I'm laid up feeling incredibly sorry for myself with the flu. Possibly swine flu!!! I had to wear a mask and everything! As I'm not pregnant or Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-66353081547893407182009-07-06T11:07:00.016+08:002009-07-19T21:51:56.666+08:00Chilli con YumWe now take off from where my last post ended up, with me strolling back home with a kilo of mussels tucked under my arm after eating breakfast at Kailis Bros Fish Cafe. Well, perhaps I actually drove home with the mussels in a plastic bag this image isn't quite so merry so let's pretend I skipped home, accompanied by the happy clap of the mussel shells as they had a mussel jamboree on the Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-63427045436069004452009-07-06T11:04:00.011+08:002010-01-12T13:30:54.065+08:00When will they, will they be famous?Kailis Bros in Leederville is one of the two places that immediately come to mind when thinking of fish markets in Perth (the other being Seafresh in Innaloo). Although I've spent a fair bit of time and money in the fish market part of Kailis, I've never had a meal in the restaurant on the premises. After recently discovering that they serve breakfast in addition to being open for lunch and Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-64189369545551442872009-06-29T21:04:00.014+08:002009-07-19T21:55:23.847+08:00ผัดไทย (I hope this says what I think it does)If wikipedia is to be trusted, the title of this post should not be insulting your grandmother and telling you I'm a smelly ratbag, but rather should tell you what I made for dinner last night and ate leftovers of for lunch today.I really love this Pad Thai recipe, and have never had a bad review from friends I've made it for. I think this is helped by the prevalence of incredibly bland and Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-63936666427348683712009-06-28T16:37:00.000+08:002009-06-29T10:58:23.198+08:00June Daring Bakers' ChallengeFour fruits Bakewell Tart with ice cream and glace cherriesThis is my maiden voyage into the world of the Daring Kitchen, having only just recently joined. I put my hand up to be a Daring Baker, though might also get involved in the Daring Cooks' Challenges once I've got the hang of fitting the Daring Bakers' challenges into my routine! Basically, there is a different challenge put forth each Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-75173898636166904742009-06-28T14:00:00.008+08:002009-06-28T14:48:43.820+08:00I roo the day..Today's lunch - reheated roo pizza left over from last night's dinner. It was my first pizza making experience in my new house, and the dodgy oven turned itself off half way through the first pizza. Luckily there was enough heat in the oven to keep the pizza nicely cooking away, but it was annoying nonetheless, and meant a long wait for pizza number two (which we really didn't need but managed toConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-33382230316406584612009-06-26T21:46:00.014+08:002009-06-26T22:54:05.331+08:00It's all Greek to meOoh, I'm a devil-may-care flying fool! I decided to throw caution to the wind and make baklava last week despite my oven still being un-fixed and super dodgy. I figured there are surely enough Greek gods around to bring good fortune to my endeavours, and I am relieved to report that they were smiling down upon me this time. I'm sure it has something to do with my painstaking drawings of them in Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-58525170853134853242009-06-26T21:12:00.009+08:002009-06-26T21:44:42.600+08:00Belly full of fishy goodnessDinner time rolled around tonight and I was hungry. I waited awhile for some dinner to magically appear in front of me, but as I was home alone this proved a fruitless exercise. I finally made my way downstairs and started scratching around the kitchen, waiting for inspiration to strike. I got some Spanish Mackerel out of the freezer, defrosting it in some warm water while I continued my quest Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-51451267373069836792009-06-25T18:10:00.010+08:002009-06-25T21:00:03.363+08:00This time with (l')attitudeI spent last weekend up in Geraldton and finally got myself to the hot new place in town, l'attitude 28. Now, there was much excitement when this place first opened a couple of months ago, and I think during the opening weekend pretty much all of my Gero facebook friends had status updates that were somehow l'attitude 28 related. Unsurprisingly however, everyone's excitement and enthusiasm for Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-30916115809179890062009-06-15T21:29:00.019+08:002009-06-16T14:09:15.521+08:00Cheesy Vegizo and the Swinging SaladsNot only does Telethon do wonderful things for sick children, it now does wonderful things for cold, hungry women.I braved Karrinyup shopping centre yesterday for the special Telethon Sunday trading day, and managed to pick up quite a few bargains for the pain of getting stuck behind dawdling fools and waiting an age to try anything on. We missed out on seeing Fat Cat in the Food Court but caughtConor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-19315767914463723992009-06-11T13:25:00.009+08:002010-01-12T13:29:56.304+08:00Advance Australia FareWhat's that Skip? Little Jimmys stuck down the well and need something to eat? I know, let's get him a burger! But what kind...?
Although not quite as useless as asking people where the best place to go for Dim Sum is (no two people ever say the same place, and most people don't know the name of the place they go to), it's difficult to find a definitive answer of where to find Perth's best Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-65142596992813809702009-06-08T21:50:00.016+08:002009-06-09T22:27:10.751+08:00You've got to roll with the walnutsApparently there was much gnashing of teeth and grumbling of tummies at the fortnightly meeting of my research group that happened whilst I was in Melbourne. I can only hope that my scientific expertise and sparkling wit were missed as much as my baking, but not wanting to test this too far I thought I'd better whip up something nice for the next meeting.There were quite a few recipes I was Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-29261131653108461202009-06-07T16:59:00.010+08:002010-01-12T13:28:48.384+08:00Let's go fly a kaitenA friend and I were planning to catch up over dinner last week and wanted something cheap and healthy. Some sort of Asian fare sprang to mind, and I remembered reading about a new-ish kaiten sushi place in Mount Lawley. I tend not to think of kaiten sushi in Perth as being cheap, but given that the two reviews I managed to find online of this place said it was really good, and sushi is generally Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-90318882992190307382009-06-06T18:33:00.013+08:002009-08-07T11:48:12.536+08:00Shank you very muchOK so this recipe actually uses lamb cutlets, not shanks, but I couldn't come up with anything relevant that rhymes with cutlet. Or indeed anything that rhymes with cutlet.The cutlets were the protein hit of a meal that I made to thank the friends who had been housing me for the past few weeks in the final stages of my 'of no fixed address' phase. The menu was quite easy to come up with, as I Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2937237371758392301.post-54603237652438292912009-06-02T21:06:00.014+08:002010-01-12T13:28:12.682+08:00I am un chienandaluz bar and tapas. Finally my lovely, I get to write about you.
Given the good things I had heard about this place, and the fact it doesn't take bookings, I was a little apprehensive about going for dinner as a group of five. Luckily however, the cool young thang density at 8 on a Thursday isn't too thick and after arriving to find no free tables, and resigning ourselves to sitting outside Conor @ HoldtheBeefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593756072189786548noreply@blogger.com0