yong chow fun? is that what it’s called?!

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prawn and pork fried rice

So we had a friend over for dinner the night I cooked my pork & prawn fried rice. He’s an English guy, born and bred, about five heads taller than me and clearly far more intelligent. Because here I am cooking away, he pokes his head around the kitchen door and says “hey what’s for dinner?” to which I reply “oh, just fried rice… it’s got pork and prawns in it.. and egg.” and then he goes “oh right, yong chow fun”  with a totally straight face.

What?? Is that what it’s called? 

I would have keeled over laughing at his geniusness if I wasn’t so appalled by the abomination that I am – a completely useless Chinese person.

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the travelling dinner party: a one way ticket to tiramisu heaven

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tiramisu

Sometimes Panu goes to work and comes home with little gifts. Mostly they’re techy gifts, like this awesome teeny tiny unbreakable water resistant usb stick (I love techy gifts by the way, because I’m too much of a numpty to buy them for myself) or a new wireless mouse or an awesome KEF surround sound system. Ok, so that last one wasn’t for me, but hey, I can now hear Ari Gold sexily screaming profanities from all angles, so I’m happy.

But the best present he’s ever brought home was when he came home with two lovely Italian-Canadian human beings ~ David and Isabella. David is great, he makes me laugh and tops my wine glass like he really doesn’t believe I’m about to hurl, and Isabella? Well, Isabella, she made that tiramisu you see right there.

I love her. I’m keeping her.

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old friends and new salads: avocado & spring onion salad with toasted almonds

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avocado and almond salad

A very weird thing happened yesterday. I was just plodding along minding my own business in Twitterverse when someone asked me for my opinion on something (read: Snog Soho) and I told them how I felt (read: I wouldn’t go there) and to my utter surprise, she didn’t go! Because of what I said! I was a little bit, what the hell someone actually listened to me, but not just like oh hey ok thanks bugger off, but she valued my opinion and changed her plans because of me.

Phwoar.

… Doesn’t she know that I know the total sum of nothing about anything?

Anyway, whatever, there was a glitch in the universe. All should be well again and really, don’t take my advice for anything.

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avocado & mango tower with grilled scallops: summer lovin’ my way

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avocado and mango tower with grilled scallops 2

Summertime in London is a really odd thing. For one, you don’t pack your jackets away. And secondly, it’s actually colder than Sydney right now and they are in the midst of their winter. The third thing, and this happened yesterday, they announce there’s a heat wave when there is not. It’s 23 degrees, my English friends. 23 degrees.

But I will pucker my little lips together and I Shalt Not Whinge. In fact, I think I even embraced the London summer not so long ago, no?

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lamb cutlets: better than Tom Cruise any day

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lamb cutlets and roast vegies

I’m gonna ask you to do something really hard. Really really hard, but bear with me ok? Because there once was a time when I was young, and the world was a very different place, and I want you to go with me there, just for one moment.

So sit still, close your eyes and breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt at yoga, is that that way of breathing is how a person should always breath (because god help me I thought my party trick of in one nostril and out the other was just the coolest thing since Fido Dido). Anyway, breathe, and concentrate… and push your mind way back to the depths of your adolecense.

Back to a time of scrunchies and crimped hair. A time of leg warmers (oh wait, that’s like now).

Back to a time when Tom Cruise was hot.

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cupcakes with vanilla butter cream: my hug proxy

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cupcakes with vanilla butter cream

My boyfriend’s been away in Finland all week and I’ve been on my lonesome at home. You know what, I have to stop calling him “my boyfriend”. Much like you and I and that cute puppy I wanted to kidnap today, he has a name. His name is Panu. Equal emphasis on both syllables ~ Pah-noo, not P’noo, like so many people insist.

Panu and I, we are quite the opposites. He’s tall, I’m a midget. He’s… not really quiet, but I make a lot of noise. He likes rock, I like breaks. He’s a sci-fi fan (yuck), I like everything but. He loathes karaoke, and me… *coughmikehogcough*. And he’s healthy and well, I eat a lot.

But what keeps us together is that secretly, under his crazy health-nut exterior, Panu also loves to eat. Oh, and we also really like each other.

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