Day Tripper - Bondi Beach - General Confusion

A trip to the beach
Was in order we cried
We’re all trusty travelers
That can’t be denied

So off to Town Hall Station
Trailing like Browns cows
We walked in formation
This Dream team of ours

We got to the station
That was a breeze
But buying the tickets
Brought us to our knees
Does this one notes?
No only coins...
Oh this one takes notes
But spitting our ours!!!
We’re starting to panic
Its minutes to departure
Finally YES we have sorted
This impending disaster...
So tickets aloft
We get on the train
And off to Bondi
Team’s clever again

Hot at the junction
We rushed to the bus
More trouble with tickets
Is it only us?
We get to the beach
Its golden and sandy
Soon we were needing
a dip in the salt sea

Surrounded by bodies
All tanned and funky
All surge to the water
To cool off their booty
Then off to lunch
We did calamari and prawns
And other fine food
Maitais, beers and wines



So our day at the beach
Was really fantastic
Thank you Bondi
You’re our kind of magic.

Gilli's Chilli and Rice Casserole - In honour of Mr Obama

Wednesday 21st January 2009 NZ Time
Today is the start of a new age - The Barack Obama Age.
This morning our time, he was inaugurated as 44th President of the US of A
I listened to the ceremony on my little transistor radio very early this morning.
The reception is less than memorable and most the time I have to hold the little radio in the air.
But it was worth it. His speech was stunning.
I took this shot around 7am, I thought it was worth recording.
What a beautiful day…what a good start to this new age.

Luckily for us we are tied up with Silverado and Geoff has My Sky and he recorded the ceremony, so we spent the morning watching this momentous occasion.
How is that…here we are in Whangaroa Harbour, on the other side of the world…on a boat… through the wonders of technology able to watch this world event

We were blown away with this charismatic man – if anyone can get the people going again in this global situation he will I’m sure.
What an orator.
I love the fact that he included 2 lines from this song written for Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger’s 1936 movie “Swing time”
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern

"Pick yourself up
Dust yourself off"

I was inspired to sing
"Let’s start all over again"

Such a great sentiment. Go Obama
Here is our future
Isn't that fabulous?
But onto food I made a good dish yesterday.
As a starter we were lucky enough to have a beautiful whole snapper grilled
Courtesy of Laurian off Silverado
It was slashed, covered in coriander, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon, a touch of garlic some olive oil
It was fabulous but would you believe that I didn’t take a shot of any of the glorious food.
Smack my hand.
Anyway we followed it with the My Chilli
Really simple.
I like to use tinned Mexican style beans all prepared for you but I do add some spices of my own and of course tinned tomatoes

500 gms mince
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 more tablespoons olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 small carrot chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
1 tin Mexican beans
1 tin cherry tomatoes in juice

First
Brown the mince in olive oil
Season with spices
Cook for a couple of minutes
Remove from pan set aside

Saute onion, garlic and carrot till soft
Add back the mince
Plus beans and tomatoes.

Check seasoning and adjust if necessary
If the beans are not hot enough some more chilli flakes would be good.

Cook gently for about 30 minutes
This improves on hanging about but you can eat it straight away.

Serve with Steamed rice mixed with fresh coriander leaves
Pop some sour cream and extra coriander leaves on the top

Excellent.

Now we had left overs and I forgot to put the leftover rice in the fridge.
Sat on top of the stove all night.
Bit worried that I might poison us, (a bit like Ruth Reichl’s mother!)
so I decided I should turn these leftovers into
A Chilli Casserole
"Gilli's Chilli and Rice Casserole"
Baked in the oven that will kill any stray bacteria.

So as this kind of dish a bit like the Famous American Tuna Casserole
I dedicate it to Mr Obama and his beautiful family
First I made a béchamel sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons grated cheese

Left over rice and chili
Extra grated cheese and 2 tablespoons fresh coriander
1 tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs

Make the roux
Add milk and cook till thickened
Add cheese
Season
Add rice and chili
Mix well
Into casserole dish and top with Grated cheese and coriander and the Panko breadcrumbs.

Bake medium hot oven about 30 minutes

This was fabulous we greedily ate it all, we should have shared it, but it was too good.

So in the words of Dorothy Fields

"Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start All over again."

Whangaroa Big Gamefish Club - Best Fish and Chips in the North

After 5 fabulous days at Omaha Beach with the family, we finally returned to the boat
It was a fraught day, not helped by both of us feeling somewhat hung-over after a last big night at the beach. AND it is a 2 ½ hour drive. PLUS we had to buy provisions.

We loaded the boat and then had a fabulous lunch at the Whangaroa Big Gamefish Club.

The restaurant has been taken over by Sally and the improvement in the food is sensational…Earlier in the year pre Sally it was average, but she is making the best fish and chips I have had for a long time

The fish was very fresh bluenose, which is an excellent fish for deep frying
So moist.
The batter, she makes fresh just before service, and it is crisp and light
And good fat crisp chips

We farewelled our Marina Manager Alan who has organised berths for us when ever we need to go back to town

This office is brand new and what a change to the marina.
John from the Boyd Store has been running it for years, but it’s hard when you are not on site.
Now there is a small ablution block and a laundry facility and a man on hand to help out.
Excellent

After lunch we had a well earned nap and then motored off to find a nice anchorage for the night.

I think Dale’s biorhythms (remember them!!! don’t hear much about those these days)
Anyhow as he was loading wine from the cupboard to the fridge, he dropped the case and 2 bottles broke.
Wine and glass everywhere.
Lots of cursing.
He had to lift the carpet and carry it out doors being careful not to spill wine and glass over the rest if the boat.
As he was organizing to rinse it the carpet dropped over the side.
Bugger
Dear me, the dinghy was up on the davits, the carpet was drifting too fast to pick up with the boat hook

He desperately tried to get the dinghy down, of course it was not playing the game.
Also, just before it went in the water, he remembered that the bung was out.

That is not easy...on the angle!
Meanwhile the carpet was drifting gently out to sea.
Finally the dinghy down, he jumped into it but the oars were stuck.
Not only was the carpet drifting away it was in great danger if sinking as it absorbed more water.
I finally got the camera trying hard not to laugh

Back on board...he was not happy

This time as he rinsed he made sure it was secure…mind you it was so heavy I don’t think it would have fallen overboard easily after that.
No stains though…they say salt water does the trick well that is correct.

I kindly poured him a well deserved glass of wine and we settled down to watch the sunset.


It seems as though all I do is make pizza and its half true. But its such a simple lunch.

This was one of the best I have made

If I had a Pizza Parlour I reckon this would be a winner

It came by chance as they do from leftovers but I liked it so much I made the “leftovers” again last night just so we could have this pizza again for lunch.

The secret is mashed potato
Not any old mashed potato but this version.
Cook 3 peeled potatoes with
1 courgette cut into chunks and 1 clove garlic in salted water.

When tender
Drain and roughly mash with a fork
Add good slurp of olive oil and 1 heaped tablespoon of mint jelly
Good grind of freshly ground black pepper and voila
Perfect to accompany any meat or fish main courseAnd more importantly left overs for Pizza topping. It is quite a dry mash, chunky, plenty of guts.

White pizzas like this need a spicy red base.

1 red freshly ground black pepper sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed
3 anchovies

Saute the above till soft
Add 1 teaspoon Piri piri seasoning
1 tin cherry tomatoes
Slosh white balsamic vinegar
Bring to simmer and reduce till thick

Beautiful deep red sauce

Slice some mozzarella cheese
Few basil leaves for garnish

Here is the dough recipe again

Pizza dough - so simple.
1 cup strong flour
1 pkt yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 dash olive oil
100-200 mls hand hot water

With a fork mix the dry ingredients and start adding the water
When it is starting to combine use you hands and pull it together
Adding more water little by little till you get a wet dough and it all comes away from the sides.

On a lightly floured bench knead for about 1-2 minutes till the dough is smooth.

Make a ball place into light oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Leave about 1 hour till double in size.
Roll out on lightly floured board till a nice flat circle is formed
I use my pizza pan but you can use a baking sheet or straight onto a pizza stone if you have one.

Lay the dough in your oiled pizza pan

Cover with tomato sauce
Put dobs of potato mix on top and spread
Cover with slices of cheese

Into hot oven should take about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven

Throw on some basil some freshly ground black pepper and serve
This is divine.

Chilli Philli - Perfect for Pizza

This has been the best summer…so far everyday a cracker
This is my view…off the side of our boat up here in New Zealand’s Far North.
Stunning.

I am getting ready to sit in the sun then slip into the sea and cool down and then sit in the sun and dry off ready for the next swim.


And off the other side of the boat
Just what holidays are made of.
Food on the boat has been wonderful, there will be many posts coming up, when I get good enough reception.
But I thought this post might be of interest to Eric Green who a Philli aficionado.
He is a Facebook friend have a look at his page.
Philli Cheese had put out a Sweet Chilli Philli and it is delicious.

I thought I would make a version of Pizza Strasbourg the most popular pizza on the Island of Moorea in Tahiti.
Generally the base is Crème Fraiche but I thought I would use the Philli.

Pizza dough - so simple.
1 cup strong flour
1 pkt yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 dash olive oil
100-200 mls hand hot water

With a fork mix the dry ingredients and start adding the water
When it is starting to combine use you hands and pull it together
Adding more water little by little till you get a wet dough and it all comes away from the sides.

On a lightly floured bench knead for about 1-2 minutes till the dough is smooth.

Make a ball place into light oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Leave about 1 hour till double in size.
Roll out on lightly floured board till a nice flat circle is formed
I use my pizza pan, but you can use a baking sheet or straight onto a pizza stone if you have one.
I made 2 pizzas
First one
Philli Chilli
½ cup caramelised onions
4 rashes bacon cut into lardons
Parmesan cheese

Cover the raw pizza with Philli and bacon lardons
Into hot oven about 8 minutes
Remove from oven and cover with onions and
Grate generously with Parmesan Cheese.
Back into oven another 8 minutes approx

Remove and serve
Delicious
Next version

Roll out dough
Cover with Philli
Into hot oven 8 minutes
Remove
Cover with hot smoked salmon
Spread over onions
Once again grate generously with Parmesan

Bake another 8 minutes approx
And serve

Equally delicious
My customers enjoyed it.