The warm loving embrace of Brisbane engulfed me last week while I was there visiting my parents and daughters.
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The warm loving embrace of Brisbane
I’ve got lots to write about, especially for Yummy Lummy. I made a really nice reef and beef meal. Later I’ll post about the Spirit House Cooking School.
The first week of July in Canberra is usually a cold week and for the last couple of years, I’ve escaped north for warmth. In 2017 I took my youngest two daughters to Cairns. In 2018, I went to Brisbane and visited my parents and daughters. The warm loving embrace of Brisbane is real and it’s fantastic.
On Monday while I had to deal with some personal matters during the day, I was able to cook a simple salmon dinner for Mum and Dad.
Mixed frozen berries and unsweetened yoghurt 
Pan-fried salmon with Caesar salad and wilted kale 
Pan-fried salmon with Caesar salad and wilted kale 
Pan-fried salmon with Caesar salad and wilted kale 
4FINGERS calamari and hot sauce 
Scrambled eggs for breakfast
On Tuesday, I drive my parents to Caloundra and we enjoyed a nice lunch at Alfie’s Mooo Char & Grill. That evening my middle daughter joined us to eat a meal at the recently opened Little Singapore in the food precinct of Westfield Chermside.
Medium rare Wagyu Porthouse steak with coleslaw, mashed potato and peppercorn sauce at Alfies Mooo Char & Bar 
Breakfast kale 
Crispy roast duck Little Singapore Westfield Chermside
On Wednesday, I drove out to Morgans Seafood at Scarborough to get some Moreton Bay bugs and banana prawns. Later that afternoon I went across to the Chermside Butcher and Grill and bought a piece of Wagyu porterhouse steak.
Wilted spinach and steamed eggs in Brisbane. 
Wagyu porterhouse steak, Moreton Bay bugs, and Banana prawns ready for preparation 
Wagyu porterhouse steak, Moreton Bay bugs, and Banana prawns ready for preparation 
Kalettes cooking 
Wagyu porterhouse steak resting 
Wagyu porterhouse steak, Moreton Bay bugs, Banana prawns, and kalettes ready for plating up 
Sliced and ready for plating up 
Kalettes cooked 
Wagyu porterhouse steak sliced 
Surf and turf. Moreton Bay bugs, Banana prawns, and Wagyu porterhouse steak with Caesar salad and crispy kalettes. 
Surf and turf. Moreton Bay bugs, Banana prawns, and Wagyu porterhouse steak with Caesar salad and crispy kalettes. 
Surf and turf. Moreton Bay bugs, Banana prawns, and Wagyu porterhouse steak with Caesar salad and crispy kalettes. 
Mixed frozen berries and unsweetened yoghurt
Thursday was the highlight of my week. For a few years, my middle daughter and I have spoken about doing a cooking class together. The planets finally aligned and we cooked together at The Spirit House Cooking School. We did a dumpling and buns lesson. It was fantastic.
Dining table at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Cooking fried rice at Spirit House Cooking School 
Me at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Me at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Steamed bun and spring rolls at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Dining table at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Ms22 at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Kelly from the Spirit House Cooking school 
Kelly from the Spirit House Cooking school 
Ms22 at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Kelly from the Spirit House Cooking school 
Pork dumplings at the Spirit House Cooking School 
Son-in-law eggs at Spirit House Cooking school 
Fried rice at Spirit House Cooking School
On Thursday evening I was able to enjoy dinner at Kinn & Derm with my parents and all my daughters. We had a great time enjoying two different banquet meals shared between us.
Soft shelled crab, roast duck, curry duck, roast pork, fried pork, wag yum beef, chicken, and vegetables 
Soft shelled crab, roast duck, curry duck, roast pork, fried pork, wag yum beef, chicken, and vegetables
Friday morning was breakfast at the Farm House, Kedron with Mum and my youngest two daughters. I had a really nice mushroom dish with a poached egg, and a cheek of avocado.
Mushrooms with feta cheese, poached egg, and avocado cheek at the Farm House 
Mushrooms with feta cheese, poached egg, and avocado cheek at the Farm House
Friday afternoon and evening were pretty well written off. The east coast of Australia experienced some bad weather so my flight from Brisbane to Canberra was delayed by a few hours. On landing, in Canberra, I started feeling unwell. I got in late and had a light meal of kalettes and speck for tea.
What have I watched this week?
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 Season 1 Episode 18 “Solitudes” Carter and O’Neil are trapped on an “ice planet” close to home.
Carter: Is this your first broken bone?
O’Neill: Ah, ah… no… this, this would be… uh… nine, if you count skull fractures.
Farscape
Farscape “Till the Blood Runs Clear“
Furlow can fix anything
IMHO Magda Szubanski’s best role ever
Rorf: I am Rorf.
John: Worf?
Rorf: RORF!!
Master Chef Australia (spoiler)
While in Brisbane I missed a few episodes including the departure of Derek.
Star Trek The Original Series
“Balance of Terror”
Given my love of submarine movies, this is one of my favourite episodes.
Star Trek The Animated Series
“The Magicks of Megas-Tu“
A very weird episode mixing science and magic.
Jessica Jones
“AKA Sorry face“
I find Trish annoying. Is that okay?
National Rugby League
I didn’t watch any rugby league this week
LAW & ORDER
“Red Ball“
A despicable criminal causes conflict between DA Branch and EADA McCoy
What have I listened to this week?
Trust me I’m an expert
A great episode about the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research.
If you’re interested in human decay and decomposition, you’ll love this.
No Such Thing as a Fish
No such thing as a ninja with a cat
“Live from Gothenburg, Dan, James, Anna and Andrew discuss ninja snorkelling, Spiderman’s fall from a traffic light, and waiting at a train station for 120 years.”
What have I eaten and photographed this week while experiencing the warm loving embrace of Brisbane?
This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.
Wilted spinach with melted parmesan, and a steamed egg 
Breakfast fritters at Ricardo’s Cafe, Jamison Plaza 
Little Singapore Westfield Chermside 
Brisbane Sunset 
Sunset on Tuesday evening in Brisbane 
Happy Saturday lunch. Wilted silverbeet, speck, Coon cheese, cherry tomatoes, and coriander. 
Happy Saturday breakfast. Wilted spinach, steamed egg and Coon cheese.
Yummy Lummy this week while in the warm loving embrace of Brisbane
Moreton Bay bugs, banana prawns, and wagyu porterhouse steak with kalettes and Caesar salad.
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Final thoughts
- Do you ever escape for a week when it’s the nadir of winter?
- Have you ever taken a cooking class?
- What do you think of kalettes?
What a week Gary – seeing your family which is wonderful and eating so much of the food you love. Can’t get any better than that well apart from the gorgeous sunset of Brisbane. PS I missed the Derek elimination show also.
Thanks, Sue. It was a really nice week for all sorts of reasons.
For me, the best part was cooking with Ms22. As I type this, she is sending me text messages and photos of the steamed buns she has just made. I’m a proud Dad!
While Derek wasn’t my favourite, it was sad to find out he was eliminated.
Never taken a cooking class. But it sounds like a great experience especially if all the cooking tools are provided.
Chinese man cooks with wok 😀
It’s really fun Mabel. If you want to do it I reckon give it a go. It’s good doing it with someone but there was one person there alone.