Day 8 Wednesday. Well, what a busy day today delivering my cooked meals. Only a couple but from little acorns… you know. Glorious day here in Cairns with early morning sunshine and no rain so far. We have the 'Hump Club' dinner tonight and the theme is Italian. Each participant cooks their own favourite dish and selects their wine and we all catch up via Zoom. For a bunch of seniors, we are not doing too badly with the technology, although there is one yet to test the system. I have collected 30 fascinating facts about general knowledge, Italy and Italian food which we will run as a trivia quiz during an interlude in the meal.

I have made a sourdough pizza base from Penny’s sourdough starter which we will slather with olive oil, salt and garlic and have as a prima portata. I am tossing up between the Angoves Organic Rose or a Giessen Sauvignon Blanc – this a gift this morning from a grateful customer, along with a $3 tip. How about that!

I am yet to make the gnocchi, but have boiled the spuds and passed them through a sieve to dry out. I think we will use the pesto we made last week as a sauce. Perhaps add some full fat cream and salt. Very good for you. I have a Saltram 1859 Barossa Shiraz. Of course, it was not bottled in 1859, but it is delicious.

Answer to yesterday’s amusing trivia is not potatoes Tas. That response was a little harsh on the Irish eh? No, the real answer is cheese.

Also, if you haven’t seen this video (from CP) it’s brilliant if not a little licentious. https://youtu.be/nCtAScghAjU

Amusing trivia for today: Which one would win in a fight between a Great White Shark and a crocodile?

Day 7 Tuesday.  The supermarkets were busy and still many empty shelves, this morning. Most items are restricted to two. There is plenty of fresh food but still no pasta, flour, toilet paper, hand sanatizer, or horror! frozen chips. However there were bins of potatoes.

While returning from the shop, I noticed the few people out and about were singles and couples, except of course for the backpackers playing soccer. I hope they got fined, dickheads.

I have completed my cooking and have two orders to deliver tomorrow and this occupied most of my day apart from a break for lunch.

Quiz answer: chimichanga means thingamajig

Amusing trivia for today: What food is the most stolen in the world?

Day six Monday

On the news this morning – the police shot and killed the bloke yesterday who rammed their car and fired at them just up the road from us. He was heavily armed and waist deep in the creek at the time, so he was stuffed in any case. Either croc bait or the police. Very sad.

We had an enjoyable Sunday Session last night with vodka tonics, gin tonics and someone had a large glass of white wine. Joanne, Graeme and we all hooked up on the big screen via Zoom. It worked well and we will make it a regular invite. If you’d like to join us in the lounge bar, let me know.

I have been planning some meal cooking to sell as takeaways so I went into Coles this morning during seniors’ hour to see what is in season and of course, available. What a quiet, controlled, polite experience without bloody millennials or rat bag kids. Not much on the shelves and almost every packaged item restricted to two items, even cartons of eggs. Not what I’d be hoarding, if indeed I was such a person.  

The research is now complete and depending on availability, I will offer two or three meal items each week. I plan to cook on Tuesday and deliver on Wednesday. Menu up each Monday for pre-paid orders. 

This week: Caramelised onion, leek and cheese quiche $10 per quarter (2 serves)

Hickory smoked red pepper passata for pasta $7 (200 mls)

Apple Strudel $10 (150 ml log – 3 serves). No senior’s discount but I will include an amusing trivia fact, such as ‘what, according to legend, does chimichanga mean?’ Answer tomorrow.

I thought I would also amuse you with some amazing food facts as well. You never know, it may help you at your next trivia night

Q. What is the most expensive beverage ever stolen?

A. Danish police are investigating the theft of what is said to be the world’s most expensive bottle of vodka. The bottle of Russo-Baltique, which was stolen from Cafe 33 bar in Copenhagen, is priced at about €1 million. Police said it was too early to say whether the perpetrator had broken into the cafe or used a key. Nothing else was stolen. The bottle was uninsured and on loan from a Russian ‘businessman.’ Ah huh.

Day five Sunday. A request for eggs Benedict this morning, so a team effort produced the desired result. The extra crispy, hickory smoked bacon was excellent. Someone had a lot of Hollandaise on their egg. Raining again.

Yesterday, Lady P roasted some pumpkin, garlic and red onion and a good job of it she did too. Today she says, ‘Chef, make me some pumpkin soup, nice and spicy.’ So I did. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2  to 1/3  a pumpkin - skin on whole piece

6 big cloves of garlic - skin on

½ red onion - skin on

25 mm fresh grated turmeric – scrape skin off with the back of a teaspoon

25 mm fresh grated ginger – scrape skin off with the back of a teaspoon

1 large red chilli, blackened, skin removed and flesh sliced

1 stalk of finely chopped lemongrass - optional

1 cup chicken stock. Make your own you lazy person!

1 330 ml can coconut cream

½ coconut cream can of water

Salt, pepper

Olive oil

Coriander

Method

Roast the pumpkin, garlic and onion in a 180 C oven until just beginning to brown. Remove and cool then remove the skins. Gently fry the ginger, turmeric and red chilli slices in a little olive oil to soften. Add all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Use a stick blender to blend to a smooth consistency. Taste and season. To serve, add chopped coriander. The lemongrass is optional if you want a citrus note. As with most things, best next day.

In keeping with my reconnaissance responsibilities, we did a patrol to the north on our bicycles today. All quiet on the northern front. All quiet everywhere it seems, apart from a 'shots fired,armed offender' and a crashed police car at Holloways Beach area this morning. Penny stumbled on to the Police radio when internet surfing. That's a surprise eh? Be on the news tonight I guess.

Now, when I was a wipper snapper, I had a bicycle. Nothing flash, just a solid steel frame, no gears and cotter pins in the peddles. What it did have though, was a very comfortable seat. Why is it that modern, 21 geared, carbon fibre framed bicycles have the hardest, narrowest seats in history?

Nearly time to go to the pub. We are meeting Graeme for a vodka/gin and tonic. Virtual, thanks to Zoom.

Day four Saturday

Our traditional trip to Rusty's Market was as expected with about half the stalls shut and only a few shoppers about. I now know where all the face masks have gone. Every Asian shopkeeper had one on. There’s none to be had for love nor money anywhere in town. Just saying.

I used Franksy’s recipe today and made focaccia to have with ham and Camembert. I did not have a wine with it. I could have, as Saturday and Sunday do not follow the strict no alcohol before 5.00 pm rule.

I got this from a mate in Mission Beach – Greta Thunberg invited the Chinese to give up using chopsticks to save trees! The Chinese have called on her and her friends to go back to school, where they will learn that chopsticks are made from bamboo, Bamboo is grass!
The Chinese invited Greta and her friends not to wipe their butt with toilet paper, because it's made from trees! She wouldn't get it.

Just back from a bike ride into town. I am taking my reconnaissance duties very seriously and I have to tell you that I saw young people playing basketball and tennis, Islander families having picnics and some international backpackers tongue kissing on the grass. So all social distancing ticketyboo here in Cairns. Very quiet on the roads though and all the hotels eerily quiet and dark. 

Right, gin and tonic served.

Day three Friday

Went for a walk yesterday afternoon and there were a few couples and lone walkers about. Some of the Esplanade restaurants are open for takeaway but they are struggling. I’m not sure how super, extra-hygienic some of the food prep is and utensils and containers are another matter but some people have no choice or little choice. My school officially stops face to face teaching this afternoon and goes to virtual lessons. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will work, but I wish them luck.

I am tutoring JCU students under the Indigenous Peer Assisted Learning program and have two active students and two who have not responded. Par for the course they say. JCU uses Zoom and it’s a great platform. We are in the process of setting up our lounge/dining room for zoom conferences with all the participants appearing on the large screen TV, so we reckon we can have virtual drinks, cocktails and dinner parties.

It’s coming up to lunch time as I type this and again it’s a miserable wet day. Warm though. Makes it hard for a man to get his washing dry.

Franksy and I have been making pizzas for a while and he is like a dog with a bone, seeking the very best dough and modifying ovens to reach staggeringly dangerous temperatures. He has shared a recipe for pizza dough which he claims to be the best. Thanks mate, I’m making it tonight.

For those interested here is the recipe

Mark Franks’ Neapolitan pizza dough.

500gm 00 flour

300ml warm water

1 teaspoons good dry yeast

1 ½ tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) table salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Stage 1

300gm flour in a food mixer bowl, leave 200gm to one side

Mix everything else in a jug and add to the 300gm flour

Stir with a fork or spoon, cover with gladwrap and leave at room temperature for a good hour

This sloppy mess is called the bega (no doubt there’s other names) and the super wet consistency has something to do with forming initial flour protein strands

Stage 2

Now add the rest of the flour and mix with a dough hook for ten minutes, leave for ten, mix for ten, leave for ten, mix for ten

Add flour if you need to. The dough should be super smooth and springy, and already very stretchy.

Leave at room temperature for an hour to wake the yeast up

Cover with gladwrap and leave in the fridge for 24 hours if you can.

Take out of the fridge about 4 hours before you need it. This is enough dough for 3-4 medium/small pizzas. Freezes well.

One thing that puzzled me was why add so much salt – won’t that kill the yeast?

Turns out that it doesn’t kill the yeast but slows it right down. OK, says I, why not just use less yeast?

Well if you use less yeast it won’t get dispersed evenly and you’ll get patches of bubbles and patches of flat, unleavened bread. So all that salt gives even yeast distribution, a slow ferment and a lovely salty taste.

It’s 1330 and the remaining teachers have just texted me. The bastards are drinking the fridge dry. At 1330 – how 80’s.

Well it’s 1700 now so that means a gin and tonic.

Day two 26-3. I am not self isolating, but being careful and unlike many other dickheads, am not congregating in numbers or playing touch football on the Esplanade. In order to survive a restricted movements regime, I (Penny is still going to work) am staying indoors as much as possible. I have planned a day a bit like the Army. Up at 0700 for PT, before a shower and shave and into clean clothes. No hanging about hairy, dirty and in jim jams. Breakfast at the table, then a strict regime of work followed by mornos. Then a break for house duties and another work period leading up to lunch. This is to be followed by a brisk walk and the final session at the computer doing tutoring work or social contact.

Ah, the best laid plans are stymied by the weather. No PT in the pissing down rain. "pussy" I hear you shout! Well, it looks like all of today will be needed to set up the office, sort out Zoom on both office  PC and laptop, clear the pile of old paperwork and disinfect the desk and keyboard with commercial strength sanatizer.

I have also taken on the responsibility to sanatize all the door handles, lift buttons and stair hand rails in the common area, twice a day. So as you can see, a good plan, keeping mind and body active. We will see how it works out! Also like Graeme, I shall try very hard to adhere to 'no TV after 0800 until 1700 and no alcohol until then as well.' mmmmm

Made it to 1300 and the office is sort of normal. A washing basket of old papers in the bin and a beer carton of stuff for the shredder. Plus all this old computer stuff. Anyone need a dongle? It will all be useless soon when the Corona apocalypse comes!

Last night we had a bit of a  kerfuffle with our neighbour being visited by three police officers at 2200 hrs. We think this may be because he (allegedly) bashed a bloke with a bit of metal pipe in the car park opposite, the night before. Since I am home all day now, I have been assigned to keep a sharp eye out.

I made some Jewish Penicillin the other day and turbo charged it with chilli. I think that is what has given me hot flushes this afternoon after a large bowl for lunch.

For those of you who need a little light reading during the social distancing, the short story, 'New Guinea Gold' at the link below may be of interest.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-wy-B4grjOhEsBmt3XGxGkNdOMT-iqIB/view?usp=sharing

Hello my little Gastronaughts. Welcome to my new blog emanating from The Little Kitchen in the pandemic locked apartment on the beautiful Cairns Esplanade. Here I will post positive comments on all things affecting us in the far north (these may be in short supply - positive things I mean) and some occasional grumbles about stupid comments from politicians and others. Importantly, I shall post and seek comments on all things gastronomical. There will also be links to virtual cooking lessons and invitations to virtual coffee dates, cocktail hours and even the occasional virtual dinner partiy. Stand by for details on how to order a pick up or delivered special meal. If you need Tiramisu there is help at hand.