Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Almond Praline

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Almond Praline
Home Cooking



Yes, this is another MasterChef recipe but this was one I HAD TO DO. Sticky date pudding has been one of my favorite desserts since I was a wee little kiddie. When I used to go to Sizzlers, I'd head straight for the dessert bar and load the little frilly plates with sticky date pudding, custard and soft serve. That was my idea of a REALLY good time.



When I saw that they were doing sticky date on the show, my ears pricked up and I thought: will DEFINITELY be making this. I had most of the ingredients at home too, bar the dates themselves.

Saturday Night Dinner: Steak and Chips

Steak and Chips
Home Cooking



Here we go again - another attempt at reproducing a MasterChef dish. Last Friday, they went through some really classic classics; I'm talking about fish and chips, pancakes and steak with red wine sauce. I LOVED that episode because they also did risotto (which is why I made the pumpkin risotto) and all up, it was just a really educational show for me.

I've been spoiling myself recently. You can obviously see by the frequency of blog posts that my whole day is spent cooking and eating. I planned a steak with red wine sauce + home made chunky chips for dinner. This is not an easy task and also involved purchasing a lot of groceries: steak, red wine, potato, onions, shallots, rosemary - you name it.

Rustic Pumpkin Scones with Maple Syrup and Cream

Rustic Pumpkin Scones with Maple Syrup and Cream
Home Cooking



I had some left over pumpkin puree from making the pumpkin risotto for lunch. What to do with pumpkin puree? I thought the answer was obvious: whip up some scones. To give my appetite some chance of recovery, I waited till a few hours after lunch and made myself a nice afternoon tea.

Pumpkin Risotto with Goats Cheese and Basil (from MasterChef Australia)

Pumpkin Risotto with Goats Cheese and Basil
Home Cooking



As promised in yesterdays post, I redid the whole risotto thing after learning some tips and tricks from the MasterChef masterclass. Today, I made pumpkin risotto and followed their online video. You can watch it yourself here.

I bought a whole lot of ingredients to get this dish rolling but in actual fact, it's really easy. I just didn't have anything at home: white wine, rosemary, pumpkin - even garlic and onion. My fridge was bare and I really needed to do some grocery shopping.

Cheddar and Chorizo Savory Bread Pudding

Cheddar and Chorizo Savory Bread Pudding
Home Cooking



A few posts back, I wrote about my experience visiting the Absynthe Bakery on the Gold Coast. One of the lovely items I brought back home with me was a loaf of curry bread. Now, to be perfectly honest, this was good for one feed and afterwards, I got sick of it because the curry flavor is quite intense.



Therein lies the age old question - what to do with stale bread? If this was a neutral or sweet loaf, my options would have been plentiful. E.g. cinnamon bread and butter pudding withe creme anglaise = yum. ANYWAY - because my bread was savory, the only thing I could think of was to grind it up as bread crumbs. But even that wouldn't have been a lot of use because flavored bread crumbs don't have the same versatility as plain ones.

HiMaWaRi

HiMaWaRi
Shop 24-25, Elizabeth Arcade (99 Elizabeth St)



When we're in the mood for a quick feed after uni/work, we tend towards regulars. For Japanese food, this usually means Kadoya in Elizabeth Arcade or sometimes, Ajisen. On this day, we actually decided to go to "the Japanese shop in Elizabeth Arcade that's NOT Kadoya" in an effort to be slightly adventurous.



I had no idea what this shop was even called until I photographed the sign. It's got a cute indoor/balcony dining area set up which has a less crowded feel than Kadoya. It IS also actually less busy which again contributes to more calmer atmosphere.

Oatmeal, Raisin and Walnut Cookies

Oatmeal, Raisin and Walnut Cookies
Home Cooking



When I was going through my oatmeal phase, oatmeal and raisin cookies were right up there as something I was going to bake. I kept putting it off for 'later'. Later became never even though I had all the ingredients ready and even bought the raisins especially for it.

Just yesterday, we had a small party at uni where everyone brought some food. A friend of mine brought her special oatmeal and raisin cookies. That did the trick to reignite my craving and I ended up baking a batch today.

It's actually quite strange how I decided to bake them... I already had some brownies in the oven. My previous attempt at brownies failed and at the time, I blamed impatience (not being able to wait for the brownies to cool before eating them). This time, I wanted to give my brownies a fighting chance to blossom and rest. To deter me from eating them prematurely, my plan was to get started on another recipe: oatmeal and raisin cookies.

Jamie Oliver's Dark Chocolate Brownies

Nutty Dark Chocolate Brownies
Home Cooking



I haven't baked anything in a long time. The urge to bake sort of comes at me in waves. These days, I've been way too stressed and time-deficient to want to bake anything. Today, I came down with a desperate NEED for something sweet. It's that time of the month. And seeing that episode of Masterchef with the sticky date pudding flipped an irresistible switch. I know most of my cooking posts of late have some reference to Masterchef but understand that it's basically the only thing I watch on TV. Indeed it's my only exposure to any form of media (that and Australia's Next Top Model on Youtube) so it's reasonable that what I see has a huge influence on what I cook.

Salmon and Pea Risotto for One

Salmon and Pea Risotto
Home Cooking



It's getting to that time of the year where I feel like I'm sick every 2nd day. To think I used to brag about my immune system... I'm blaming the heater in my room - first thing I do when I get home, without fail is to turn it on. Growing up with my dad, I was taught to never, ever rely on 'those things' because it weakens your immune response. Guess he was sort of right!

Sick = at home = comfort food. I was reading a thread on Vogue Forums about risotto and though risotto is not something I tend to order at restaurants or get cravings for, the thread made me start longing for a creamy, cheesy risotto dish. It's convenient I have a box of good arborio rice at home too. I picked it up from a gourmet deli a coupe of months back and forgot all about it.

Gold Coast Index

Long weekend at the Gold Coast



For our 1 year anniversary, Charlie sprung a surprise on me: 2 nights down at the coast. I say 'surprise' but this was slightly ruined by the fact that I'd been hinting for a good 2 months and so was expecting something along these lines.

Anyway, we had a great time. It's so good to just get away from your everyday routine of uni/work etc just for a change and a chance to let go.

As is usual with anywhere I go, food becomes a crucial factor. We had a fair amount of dining experiences on this holiday, probably more to come on future trips.

Gold Coast: Perle Contemporary Dining and Lounge Bar

Perle Dining
http://www.perledining.com/flash.html



This was my last stop in the coast before the drive home to Brisbane. Charlie had already eaten breakfast (a pie from the Absynthe Bakery) but I didn't want to finish my holiday on an empty stomach. We simply crossed the courtyard of Circle on Cavil and entered the restaurant opposite - Perle.

The reason why I chose this place is that they had some blackboard breakfast specials. These aren't specials as in 'cheap' or 'bargain' but they sounded really yummy - THAT kind of 'special'. I was quite interested in the savory mince on toast and the pancakes but I didn't want a really big fancy breakfast. In the end, I chose the scones and coffee. This was a good $10 so you can sort of see how it's not 'cheap'.


The atmosphere is really nice. Perle is a large restaurant and a lot of it is outdoors. The chairs are modern-looking and plastic. I thought they'd be uncomfortable but they were surprisingly ergonomic. From where we were sitting, we could watch the huge outdoor TV in the courtyard.

Gold Coast: Absynthe Bakery

Absynthe Bakery
http://www.absynthe.com.au/bakery.htm



Absynthe the restaurant is currently amongst the highest ranking (if not THE highest ranking) in Queensland. Obviously, it's somewhere I want to go. On this particular Gold Coast trip, I wasn't in the mood for fine dining so we're saving it for later.



I did, however, stumble across the Absynthe Bakery which was right across the road from our hotel. It's located in an apartment complex called Circle on Cavil. The bakery is small and French-style with a few chairs and tables for people who stop by for a snack or quick lunch.

Gold Coast: Max Brenner

Max Brenner
http://www.maxbrenner.com.au/



I first went to Max Brenner in Sydney. It was awesome. I was on a chocolate high for weeks afterwards. And the thing is, I heard that their waffles are supposedly the best thing ever but I didn't get to try any...

so...

I wasn't going to pass up on another opportunity. Max Brenner in the Gold Coast is my closest supplier of the waffles. When I found out I was going to the coast, it was an obvious 'must go' place. We went there on the second night.

Gold Coast: Cha Cha

Cha Cha
Shop 6, 2705 Gold Coast Hwy, Gold Coast



When deciding where to eat down at the coast, I tried to separate the good stuff from the hype. From what I read, Cha Cha is one of those unique eateries that locals flood into every night. Of all the reviews I read, the general consensus is that it's cheap, good food, good variety but always very, very busy.

On the night we went, it was pouring down. I took this to be a good sign - maybe enough people will be discouraged from eating out that we'll actually get a seat. No such luck. The place was packed. After much fussy and waiting, we were offered a table with the warning that 'this might get wet'.

Gold Coast: Il Gelato Veneziano

Il Gelato Veneziano
Surf Parade, Broadbeach



It's a mystery but I can't find any mention of Il Gelato on the Gold Coast anywhere online. There are several references to one in Perth but I don't know if they're even related. Consequently, I can't detail the location but it was just across the road from Oberoi's Taj in Broadbeach so presumably, the address is somewhere along Surf Parade.



We made a quick pit stop here for dessert after the Indian cuisine at lunchtime. Obviously, it would have been around 1-2pm but I got the feeling that the place doesn't get busy until the evening. The shopfront is quite small - there's a fridge with lots of gelato flavors to chose from and 1 or 2 little tables.

Gold Coast: Oberoi's Taj

Oberoi's Taj
http://www.oberoistaj.com.au/



On our second day at the coast, I decided I was in the mood for Indian food. We had seen dozens of Indian restaurants around the place - they are in abundance. However, since we weren't locals, we didn't know which were good and which were duds.

It got to the point where we just thought - if we see a recommendation ANYWHERE, we'll go to that one. Of course this is flawed logic because the 'recommendation' we ended up using was an advertisement for that restaurant. And obviously they'll talk themselves up. But to us, it was better than blindly choosing any old restaurant.

Gold Coast: Breakfast at Bahia

Bahia Cafe Restaurant Bar
http://www.bahiarestaurant.com.au/



There are a few reasons why I wanted to go to Bahia but ONE OF THEM was that I thought it'd be a great idea to get up and take a walk along the beach, thinking that Bahia was a reasonable walking distance away. My GPS told me it was 3, nearing on 4km. Something inside me warned that this is a LONG TREK but I ignored it and dragged Charlie out with me.

It just so happens that the weekend that we were at the coast, there was incredibly high wind, rain and severe weather warnings. To give you an idea, the beach out from Cavill Ave was closed off due to the fact that... well... it was eaten up by the surf and therefore pretty dangerous. Seriously, the water was right up near the road. Ok, that's a slight exaggeration. I didn't find it that scary, but it was WINDY. Like, walking down the stairs was torture because I nearly got blown off into the atmosphere. That kind of windy.

Gold Coast: Hazel Tea Shop

Hazel Tea Shop
http://www.hazel.com.au/



Some places gain a reputation so naturally that you know you just have to try it. I had heard about this tea place on the coast that was meant to be best in Queensland. I mentioned this to Charlie and for once, he's also heard about it, from a different circle of friends. We reasoned that this must mean it's good. Fate would have it that this tea shop was right near our hotel.

It's not a tea shop as in... TEA. Like English high tea. Or Asian tea ceremony type of tea. It's BUBBLE TEA. If you don't know what bubble tea is, stop thinking about china cups or tea pots and put your mind to plastic cups with the sealed top and fat, colourful straws. Bubble tea is an Asian craze. In summary, it's tea (usually black or red) with/without milk and with/without flavoring or toppings.

Gold Coast: Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill

Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill
http://www.moomoorestaurant.com/



I went to the Gold Coast without much idea of where I wanted to eat. This is rare for me. I'm normally the preplanned type who schedules every meal multiple weeks before the actual event. Nonetheless, Moo Moos quickly made it onto my list of 'must go' places. If I'm honest, it was the only restaurant I was intent on visiting. I read a lot of positive reviews online and the online menu supports its reputation as a specialist steak restaurant. These guys really seem to know what they're talking about.



Charlie and I weren't able to book much in advance so we got a table at 9pm. I stupidly thought we'd be the last customers in the restaurant. So wrong. We rocked up at 8:50pm and the place was packed to the rafters. Like, really really busy. Please, book in advance if you want to go. They're not kidding around when they say 'bookings essential'.

Gold Coast: Food Fantasy

Food Fantasy
http://www.conradjupiters.com.au/



I really hate buffets. I hate Sizzlers. The idea of 'all you can eat' scares me. I mentally associate normal buffets with poor quality and lack of freshness. There's a novelty appeal but appeal only takes you so far. Sometimes, when I've accomplished a milestone (e.g. end of exams), I'll feel like going 'all out' and doing a buffet. Otherwise, I'm happy without.

Having said all that, on the first day of our Gold Coast holiday, Charlie decided we'd be having the buffet at Food Fantasy for lunch. I didn't argue because I was STARVING. The other time buffets appeal to me is when my stomach feels like it's eating itself. Food Fantasy is located within Conrad Jupiters. I've eaten at several restaurants around the 2 Conrad casinos (Jupiters and Treasury) but never at Food Fantasy.

Korean Savory Seafood Pancake

Korean Savory Seafood Pancake
Home Cooking



This is an example of cooking on the whim. I like Korean restaurants and I've eaten at many. One thing I've never felt like trying is their savory pancakes. No idea why... just never ordered that. Suddenly, one day I'm talking to one of my best mates on MSN - she's Korean and we're talking about cooking. Korean pancakes get brought up and I get a huge craving. Another case of me craving something I've never tried before. This happens a lot. And I get an unfortunate, unhealthy and unrealistic desire to try and cook these dishes without having any mental goal of what I'm aiming for.

Hutch Bistro

Hutch Bistro
http://www.thehutchbistro.com.au/



I randomly read about this place somewhere and had a quick look online. Judging from the website, Hutch Bistro looked inviting, with nice menu choices and nice decor. The restaurant is located in New Farm but not in close proximity to any other restaurants or cafes. There's Hutch Bistro... and around it, a whole bunch of apartment buildings.



We went there for a casual dinner one weekday evening and I had already decided what I wanted to order before we even got there (the joy of internet menus). It was a bit early for dinner but Hutch had a decent amount of customers scattered throughout their outdoor and indoor dining space. Most of these people looked like regulars and that's always a good sign.

Carrot Cake Bircher Muesli

Carrot Cake Bircher Muesli
Home Cooking



"Oh no", I hear you groan. Yeup, it's ANOTHER muesli/cereal/breakfast-related post. Clearly I'm getting slack and more willing to consider actions like 'stirring' and 'pouring' as actual cooking. Too bad! I thought this was a novel idea and maybe the title is intriguing enough for you to read on :).

Popeye's Favourite Snack - Spinach and Feta Savory Muffins

Popeye's Favorite Snack - Spinach and Feta Savory MuffinsHome Cooking



There's not a lot of food out there that I really dislike. Sure, like anyone else in the world, I have preferences but in general, I tend to eat just about anything. Nonetheless, I'd somehow gotten it into my head that I really don't like savory scones or muffins. When I was offered a bite a few weeks back, I took a tentative taste and proclaimed it was horrible before anything even registered in my taste buds.

Something changed DRASTICALLY. Charlie and I went to Muffin Break last week and he chose the spinach and feta muffin. I tried this one and liked it so much that I forced him to trade muffins with me. From there on, it was only a matter of time before I would attempt to make my own.

Speedy Penne with Vegetable Stew

Speedy Penne with Vegetable Stew
Home Cooking



When I'm home alone I have a bit of a dilemma - to cook or to scourge around in the pantry for snacks? Cooking for one seems like such a waste of effort and I can usually only be bothered to do it if I'm starving. Unfortunately, by then, I have no tolerance for any preparation/waiting time so I'll just whip up something lazy and fast.

The good thing about this pasta dish is that it's super fast, even fast enough by my standards, but it's also nutritious, low fat and still tastes good. I had 3 pots and pans going at once but it's not as franctic as it sounds. If you have the appropriate ingredients lying around in the house, this makes a good meal solution.

Chicken Mince Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Mince Lettuce Wraps
Home Cooking



Bit of a disclaimer first: when I made the chicken mince for the wraps, I accidentally poured too much fish sauce and as a result, the mince was extremely, almost unbearably salty. It was pretty much just panicky damage control from thereon. I think the original recipe specifies too much fish sauce so when I give my version of the recipe here, I'll cut back a lot and let you modify to your tastes.

I thought about leaving this meal unposted but the thing is, there's potential there. I can't help but think that if the saltiness wasn't an overpowering factor, the rest of the flavors would have worked out beautifully.

Banana Tart Tatin

Banana Tart Tatin
Home Cooking



This is another one of those things that I had never tasted but started developing an irrational craving for after seeing it on MasterChef. Traditionally, this dessert is made by caramelizing apples in a pan, layering on puff pastry and finishing it off in the oven. The tart is finally turned onto a plate.

As much as I wanted to try this original version, I only had bananas in the house and I found a super easy non-pan recipe for banana tart tatin. I'm REALLY lazy so I decided to give that a go and save the 'true' version for another day.

Jong Ga - all you can eat Korean BBQ

Jong Ga
316 St Pauls Tce, Fortitude Valley



I went to Koh-Ya a while back and really enjoyed the experience. It's a Japanese-style barbecue buffet - not just raw stuff but also plenty of salads, sushi, drinks and desserts. Somewhere online, I read that there was another restaurant in the valley called Jong Ga, which was meant to be a cheaper but less comprehensive and intricate version of Koh-Ya. I like the idea of 'cheaper' so last night, we went to see how good it is.

MasterChef Inspired - Cheesy Breadsticks with "Eggs in Hell"

Cheesy Breadsticks with Eggs in Hell
Home Cooking



Since MasterChef Australia started airing on Ten, I've been watching it religiously every night. Last night, they had a challenge involving bacon, eggs, bread and tomatoes - basic ingredients that most people would have at home. The challenge was to make something 'stand out' from those ingredients.

At first I thought this challenge would be boring but the dishes that the top three came up with looked REAAALLY appetizing. Chris made something he titled 'eggs in hell' which was like a poached egg in tomato and tobasco sauce. Poh made crispy, cheesy bread sticks and a dip. I had left over sourdough at home, canned tomato, eggs and lots of cheese so it was really easy to whip up something inspired by that challenge.

Totally irrelevant to food but...

Had the funniest MSN convo with one of my oldest pals.


If you've been living under a rock and have no idea about this GOD of whom we're speaking about... (click on and you'll be rewarded)


So in a way, this is kinda about food because that's some smokin' eye candy right there ;).

Mother's Day - high tea at High Societea

High Societea
318 Junction Rd, Clayfield



If I had first been told about high tea in my teens, it would have invoked images of frills, pink, doilies, dainty china and ahem... posh, old ladies. At the time, it was definitely not my scene and I would have promptly classed anyone as 'uncool' for suggesting it.

Fresh flowers from our table

In actual fact, I only heard about high tea last year when I saw a brochure from one of my favorite cafes in the Eastside. As soon as I read the tantalizing descriptions, I wanted to give it a try.

Sabee Sabee Kumala - Sweet Potato Stewed in Coconut

Sweet Potato Stewed in Coconut
Home Cooking



As soon as I step into a grocery store, I sort of blank out and just put 'whatever' into the basket and walk out with it. On one recent occasion, I wound up with a sweet potato and it's been sitting in my cupboard for a while.

I looked through a bunch of sweet potato recipes and everything sounded pretty appealing. Especially candied sweet potato... o.m.g. yum.

Bad news people

My camera has officially died.

A week ago, the screen got waterlogged and stopped working. I kept using the camera based on the fact that I knew what to press to change the settings anyway. Somehow, the mode changed and I just couldn't get it back to what I was familiar with (since the screen didn't work, I had no idea what mode I was in or how to change it).

Got a rough quote to get the screen fixed: couple of hundred. o.o - the camera rrp is only like $300. For that price, I'd rather get a new camera.

Anyway I thought I'd try to fix the thing myself and of course you can predict the outcome...

A combination of: no skill, no tools and no patience = I killed my camera.

So grr about it right now. The closest thing I have to a spare is the camera function on my iPhone and that's just baaaddddd.

There'll be a temporary hold on cooking and restaurant posts as I try to get myself sorted and organize a new/replacement camera.

Hello! KyoChon

Hello! KyoChon
85 Elizabeth St, Brisbane (Downstairs)



A few weeks back, a friend told me there was a new Korean fried chicken restaurant in the city. Fried chicken... like... as in, all they sell is fried chicken.

Oh, sure there are about 5 other things (kim chi, um... sweet potato chips)... but MOSTLY what they work is chicken.

At Hello! KyoChon, you have to buy a WHOLE chicken because there are no small portions. A whole fried chicken is $30 but you can chose to have different flavors. The flavors are: normal fried chicken, garlic soy, sweet and sour or hot (spicy) version of the garlic soy or sweet and sour.

Lingurian Cabbage Pie

Lingurian Cabbage Pie
Home Cooking



When I was looking through "The Modern Baker" by Nick Malgieri, a dish titled 'Lingurian Savoy Cabbage Pie' REALLY caught my eye. No idea why. I've never had cabbage pie before... didn't know what it'd taste like. The thought of cabbage in pie just sounded like the greatest thing ever. I spent many nights dreaming about it.

Noone else seemed to share my enthusiasm. I mentioned I'd be making cabbage pie to Charlie TWICE and he TWICE insisted we go out to eat instead.

Today, I even did a mini survey around my clinic to see if 'cabbage pie' sounded appealing or gross to normal people (i.e. people that's not me). The first thing most people ask is "what? Just cabbage? Is there meat".

Scones with Ricotta and Lemon Butter

Scones with Ricotta and Lemon Butter
Home Cooking



It's been a few weeks now and my scone cravings are still alive and kicking. I've had a few good ones but that didn't stop me from wanting to make my own at home. My usual method of whipping up scones involves natural yogurt, butter and self-raising flour. I substitute a mixture of yogurt and skim milk for buttermilk... and they normally turn out well. Soft, buttery, crumbly and great with jam and cream.



I didn't have cream today so I decided to try having scones with something else. There's fresh, whole-milk ricotta cheese at home and I wanted to use that, plus make my own lemon butter.

The lemon butter was SUPER easy and turned out really well. As for the scones... well, I experimented a bit and the result was edible but not fantastic. There are so many recipes around for lemonade scones and I heard these are supposed to be awesome and a cinch to make. Most of these recipes just call for 3 ingredients: lemonade, cream and self-raising flour. My 'inspired' version used diet tonic water (it was all I had), Greek yogurt and a bit of butter, whizzed together in the food processor. Because the scones didn't turn out any where near as good as my usual ones, I'm not going to harm you innocent people by posting a recipe.

Greek Moussaka

Greek Moussaka
Home Cooking



Before I started cooking, I loved eggplant. Now I think it's a pain in the neck. I keep buying the long, thin ones even though I know I'm probably going to slice and layer it. Thin eggplants are hard to slice. Especially because of their skin.

The skin is like... knife-repelling rubber. I don't mind eating eggplant skin but I've started peeling them just to have an easier time cutting them. Otherwise, it's about as close to impossible as it gets.

Tognini's at the State Library

Tognini's CafeWineBar
State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Bank



Back in the day when hair was my obsession more than anything else (at one stage *cough* I was blonde and at another stage, *cough* I had a girl mullet), I was faithful to AKA Tognini's in the valley for haircuts. When I found out that the same people were responsible for the cafe my mum went to for lunch, I was SO DYING to try it out. Never got the chance to.

How lucky for me then that Tognini's have branched out to open a cafe under the State Library. I don't really dig the State Library - being near books that I can't take home (be it through borrowing or purchasing) doesn't make sense to me. Please explain? Anyway, that doesn't matter because the State Library is next to the Gallery of Modern Art and I don't mind heading there every now and again.

Supermarket Superhero + Elivae Yogurt Trial

I know I'm in trouble when I convince myself that a trip to the grocery store makes up for a week's worth of not exercising. It comes from the same vein of thought as 'food consumed whilst walking has no kilojoules' and 'a chocolate you don't like doesn't count'(not my theories, I read them in a book somewhere).

Sure, the bags can get mighty heavy but realistically, my walk to Woolworths is only 5min. And even that's stretching it.

I think out of this lot, only 1 packet has been opened and the rest have been stored away, anxiously awaiting their fate

I'm lucky I live so conveniently close to a shopping center and I would, if I could, spend HOURS grocery shopping every day: hoarding up on items that I don't need (chocolate is something I hoard a lot) until my credit card explodes. It's a good thing that I can only CARRY SO MUCH. Nature's done a fabulous job of letting me self-limit how much I can buy by giving me weak arms and a 'I CBF' personality. Thank goodness or I'll be even more in debt.

Chicken and Brown Rice Salad with Honey Soy Dressing

Chicken and Brown Rice Salad with Honey Soy Dressing
Home Cooking



For some strange, inexplicable reason, the last time I went grocery shopping I picked up a packet of brown rice. It wasn't entirely unintentional. I did think to myself "I could really use some brown rice". Although now, in hindsight, I'm not sure why.

Brown rice isn't something that ever features in my home cooking, or in the food that I grew up with. In fact, there was a funny period where my mother bought a packet of brown rice (probably overcome by the same strange conviction that I had about needing to try it) and my dad HATED it.