I've been running more. Do you guys remember when I used to be a runner, when I used to run 30 miles a week and be skinnier than what should be healthy? Yeah, I don't know why I ever did it either. The reason I'm doing it now is for a few reasons. First, I'm out of shape, and that's something I've always been, in shape. Second, I'm starting to worry that all the butter and bacon might be taking its toll on me. It's really just a precautionary thing, but hey, nothing wrong with being fit, right?
I've been listening to a lot of jazz while I cook. That's been good. I've been cooking some different things and looking at/learning a lot of new recipes. Winter is setting in here and it's coat weather most days and it's been getting real cold at night (which is always when I decide to run for some reason). But the cold weather is putting me into the Christmas mode which isn't all that good because, well, it's May. But I've started thinking about the food I want to cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last night I had a dream I was telling my mom about a new recipe/method I had for cooking the turkey. I remember in the dream she wasn't all that thrilled about it because it involves a lot of butter, but I'm sure I can talk her into it by the time the holidays roll around. I rant about this all the time to my friends here but I can't wait to get home to my knives. I'm not saying that the knives me and my brother have are all that great, in fact, they're pretty ordinary. I'm just saying the knives here are THAT bad. Some things I've made in the past few days have been sausage rolls, roast leg of lamb, lamb risotto, lamb gravy, lamb steaks, and some sort of chocolatey-stuffed pastry I don't even know what to call.
I've been thinking about tattoos a lot lately and I know I've always said I'm going to wait until I have a real job to get work done below my elbows, but the more I think about it, the more I want to get the rest of my left arm lined when I get home. We'll see. It's still a long way out.
This week I tried a Pinot Noir that was really nice. It was a New Zealand wine and got really good reviews from the sorts of people who know about that sort of thing. I enjoyed it. I also tried an Asian beer that was pretty good. It definitely tasted like an Asian beer but isn't something I think I'd want to have on a regular basis. It was good but, to be honest, I just bought it because of the bottle.
I've been writing a bit more this week. I'm still working on that piece about a heroin addict. That's been good. And that's about all I have to say about that.
I had a really bizarre thought one night this week where I considered being a vegetarian for a little bit. But that thought didn't last long.
So this food I've been making. I challenged myself one night to go to the store and come back with two ingredients--a protein and something to go with it--under $15 to make dinner out of for the next two nights. I came back with a half leg of lamb and four rashers of bacon. I still didn't know what I was going to do with it so I set all my ingredients out on the counter and just looked at them. When it came to me, I cut two pockets into the lamb, rubbed it with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, then stuffed it with bacon. I then rubbed the whole lamb with the same ingredients and wrapped it in bacon (Alison thinks I use too much bacon when I cook but I argue that there is no such thing, especially when it tastes so good). When it came out of the oven, I used the drippings to make gravy. It was great. After dinner, I carved up the rest of the lamb and used the bone to make lamb stock which I used the next night in a lamb risotto along with the rest of the lamb carvings. Yes, that was great, too. I served the risotto with lamb steaks that someone bought me to make them tea with. I made risotto for four people (myself included) and used about $.60 of rice. They bought me the rest of the ingredients which probably totaled to about $12. Sometimes it pays to cook for people.
Waiting for inspiration
Bacon wrapped goodness out of the oven
Perfection
Lamb on Lamb.
Filled with more calories than you can imagine.
What we did last night go a little out of hand. Months ago I found a recipe for "chocolate croissants." I hate to call them that because they're really an insult to French baking. Still, they resemble it enough, are incredibly easy to make, and people love them. Teish has started buying me the few ingredients required for chocolate croissants every week and devouring them like no one's business. Last night, instead of putting chocolate in the middle, we started putting in chocolate tim-tams and mars bars and any sort of chocolate we could find. It got out of hand real fast but they were so good. But so bad for you.
My RA is trying to convert me from NFL to AFL and said that some Sunday we'll have a typical Aussie Sunday where we make roast lamb, pumpkin, and pavlova for lunch, watch footie highlights and the footie game of whoever is playing that night. It's hard to argue with that so I hope it happens soon.
I post about food a lot...oh well.
I read an article today that Melbourne and Sydney are ranked the number 7 and 8 most expensive cities in the world to live in. That's been rough on me as a tourist who can't work.
Anyway, life is good and I hope things are going well with all of you.
Take care and stay classy
~Daniel
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