Sunday 31 May 2015

妈妈不在家之食谱(二十二):deep fried baby corns

这肯定是我有史以来最不靠谱的一次了。

冰箱内剩一包我买的baby corns,看起来不太新鲜了,我想把它们给解决,但冰箱内也没有什么适合和它们配在一起炒的,我无计可施,决定试试看把它们给油炸。

我用一粒蛋,一点薯粉(平时不下厨,东西在哪儿都不知道,找不到面粉,薯粉照杀!),加点盐,加点水,混均匀。Baby corns沾上这混合物(哈哈,都不知道该叫什么),再沾一沾bread crumbs,下热锅炸至金黄,捞起把油沥了。

蒜米和切碎的小辣椒爆香,捞起。挤入两粒酸酐汁,搅一搅,就成了酱汁。

把酱汁淋在油炸baby corns上即可。



个人觉得那薯粉弄得皮儿口感奇怪,但其实原来炸baby corns这点子可行,下次买包装tempura料可以再试试。

那个香蒜辣椒酸酐汁下次可以做来当油炸食物的沾酱。

Margaret River Region 3D2N

Margaret River Region 3D2N Itinerary:
Day 1: Perth - Mandurah - Lake Clifton - Bunbury - Busselton - Margaret River
Stay: Waterfall Cottages, Margaret River
Expenses: Lunch at The Equinox - AUD 138.00; Waterfall Cottages (Family Cottage) for 2 nights - AUD 550.00

Day 2: Margaret River - Voyager Estate - Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse - Boranup Rrive - Margaret River
Stay: Waterfall Cottages, Margaret River
Expenses: Estate Tour at Voyager Estate - AUD 175.00; Lunch at Voyager Estate - AUD 162.00; Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Adult: $8 per pax, Aged pensioner: $7.20 per pax); Dinner at Muster Bar and Grill - AUD 182.00

Day 3: Margaret River - Bettenays Nougat Company - Margaret River Cheese Factory - Margaret River Chocolate Factory - Rockingham - Perth
Expenses: tapas at Rustico - AUD 111.00; Fuel - AUD 96.30


Margaret River Region位于澳洲最西南一角,以葡萄酒与美食名闻天下,海边与科瑞森林(Karri Forest)是旅游重点。所以,在我们六天六夜Greater Perth自助游的行程安排中,我把三天两夜给了Margaret River Region。

我原本想像如Great Ocean Road一般,可以奔驰在海岸线,却原来只是偶尔与印度洋相遇。当然,这并不损我们的兴致。天气好得很,天空、河流、海洋全都蓝得像假的一样。



从Perth开往Margaret River,我们就好几次特意绕道到海边瞧瞧。其中,我觉得Mandurah是值得稍微停一停舒展筋骨的地方。

海水清澈见底,在海边公园吹吹海风吃点小食,有多写意就多写意。我五姨曾经在这儿野餐时遇见游近的海豚在海面跳跃,不过我们这一趟没这么幸运。大家倒是可以去碰碰运气。




从Mandurah到Bunbury,我们选择走Old Coastal Road,为的就是可以到Lake Clifton看看thrombolites原生物。离开Mandurah,进入Yalgorup National Park后注意看"Lake Clifton Thrombolites"路牌,从Old Coastal Road转入,几分钟后就可以看见停车处。
景区很简单,只有厕所和亭子这些基本设施。即使来这儿之前没有好好的了解thrombolites也没有问题,因为亭子内设有详细的解说,可以慢慢细读。


从停车处沿着木板经道走约十分钟就可以到Lake Clifton湖畔。湖畔有好多thrombolites露出水面,外表看起来平平无奇,与石头无异,但其实是活化石,表层为微生物。湖畔凉风习习,偶尔有鸟儿掠过水面,静谧舒服。



看,谋杀了很多memory space哦!





我们离开Lake Clifton后就到Bunbury Farmers Market 走走。妈妈被五花八门的蔬果肉类熟食迷倒,我们在里头可逛了好久,free sample也吃了不少呢。嘻嘻!当然,妈妈哪能抵挡这些新鲜食材的魅力?我们一口气买了几餐的食材和饮料(牛奶、鲜果汁等)。反正大家在这儿逛得很尽兴。




午餐我们决定到Busselton Jetty旁的The Equinox解决。其实,在Tripadvisor上看上了几家餐厅,其中The Goose就位于沙滩旁,印度洋可以一览无遗,但听Choo说The Equinox食物不错,我也非常爱那棵fig tree老树,所以我们还是照我的原定计划。

坐在靠窗处可以看海、看树……

老树住持

The Equinox的食物非常大份,我们五人只要了一个seafood chowder、一个泰式鲜虾沙拉、一个和牛汉堡、和一碟肉类拼盘。这样子,竟然也吃了老半天,撑死了!所以吃了午餐我们决定就在附近散步散步。


Busselton Jetty为南半球最长的jetty,今年刚刚庆祝一百五十周年。游客可以乘小小游览火车到jetty尽头的Underwater Observatory看看海中生物。乐龄人士们对此提不起兴趣,我们也就作罢。


反正天气好,呆着不动也倍感舒服的。


离开了Busselton,我们直奔位于Margaret River的Waterfall Cottage。必须在天黑之前抵达呀!

经过Margaret River小镇时,还未五点,但太阳已经快要下山。我们幸运,恰巧碰上夕阳西照秋叶的时分。

在转入我们住处的森林时,我们碰见了在草坪上嬉戏的袋鼠们,到了cottage,又有一群野鸭来探访,很美好的第一印象呢!

我们住的cottage四周森林环绕,又位于小河畔,所以太阳下山后特别冷。妈妈一直投诉气象预测骗了她。

大家受了一夜飞行和一日车程的折腾,吃了晚餐就早早休息了。

Family cottage by Waterfall Cottage


隔天在院子内用餐,不知名的鸟儿和鹦鹉纷纷到访。我们觉得有趣,把面包都拿出来骗鸟儿了。
简简单单的美味早餐




吃了早餐打算到Margaret River镇上走走,在cottage转角处又再碰见嬉戏的袋鼠们,当然要拍拍照片。


我在网上预订了Voyager Estate的Estate Tour,时间还早我们就到Margaret River镇上随意逛逛。爸爸爱上这个小镇,说是理想的退休地方。我倒觉得旅游无所谓,常住就稍微闷了一点。

时间一到,我们便到酒庄见识见识。Voyager Estate入口很堂皇,有一种进入大富之家的感觉,我们在停车场就已经开始拍照拍个不停,兴奋得很。

Estate Tour为时一小时半,Linda带我们看葡萄树、乘车游葡萄园、去看酒庄的蓄水池、去研究泥层对种葡萄的重要性、去参观地下藏酒出、从酒桶内取出葡萄酒品尝、参观装瓶的机器、再回到酒庄主建筑品白酒和红酒。我们对这地方太满意了,于是决定在这儿用午餐。

我们对于酒庄的Estate Tour、餐厅的食物、花园、服务态度等都非常满意,在那儿呆了接近四个小时。我个人认为如果你在Margaret River只有时间到一个酒庄,那就选Voyager Estate吧。

离开了酒庄,我们就直奔Cape Leeuwin灯塔,过了Augusta市镇,有一小段沿海公路直达灯塔。


也就是它,不知引导了多少船只安全到岸。
我们运气好,晴空万里、碧空如洗。

大家在入口处付了入门费,拿了personal electronic audio guide system,便各自依据自己的步伐慢慢走、慢慢看、慢慢听。如果年轻力壮,可以考虑预订灯塔游,导游会给你细细讲解,并带你到灯塔顶端看看风景。

这灯塔位于澳洲最西南角,也位于印度洋和南大洋的交际处,所以这里附近的海域特别险峻。(鬼故事不少呢!)据说冬天来此可以看见两大洋咆哮的壮观场面。我们参观的那一天虽称不上风平浪静,反正没有什么惊险画面就是了。

我们在澳洲的六天,就数这里的照片最美。白色灯塔在蓝空下仿如发亮白玉,而蓝天在白色灯塔的衬托下显得广袤深邃……



这告示牌,是一定要和之合影的

难得好天气,大家来自拍

离开灯塔后在回程中我和恩可以绕道走Boranup Drive。我们是觉得很酷的,但是老人家们有点儿担心紧张。我看天色渐暗,GPS又没法子locate我们所在,怕车后仨受怕,倒是慌张了一阵子。车子一回到Cave Road就放心啦~


到Margaret River也只不过六点,却天色已暗,不想煮了,我们到Muster吃大餐去。

第三天早上,我们再次到Margaret River市镇走走,看一看人家的特色小店,然后一路尝着nougat, cheese和chocolate,一路往北。
Bettenay’s Nougat Company

半路,还是忍不住,再次到Bunbury Farmers' Market走走吃吃,最终以Rustico(Rockingham)超好吃的tapas作为Margaret River region旅途的终结。


请你也看:Greater Perth 6D6N Detail Itinerary


Other itineraries:
2017 - Germany: Upper Middle Rhine Valley One Day Tour (Stay tune)

Friday 29 May 2015

妈妈不在家之食谱(二十一):剁椒金针菇

写懒人食谱,绝对是我的拿手本事。因为我本就是名副其实的懒人一个。

把金针菇洗干净,铺好。淋上剁椒(我懒惰剁,买现成的),撒上蒜米。要更好吃,我在炒别样菜前把油热了,炸一炸蒜米,连蒜米连油一并淋在剁椒上,就可放到饭上蒸了。剩下的热锅热油可以继续炒菜。

炒好另一碟菜,这剁椒金针菇也可以上桌啦~

Thursday 28 May 2015

妈妈不在家之食谱(二十):珊瑚菇蛋花汤

昨天晚上忘记把煲汤的材料准备好,早上来不及解冻,只好作罢。
回家路上想来想去都想不到冰箱内还有什么东西可以煮汤,没法子,只好煮蛋花汤。但又不想太单调,只好出动我的珊瑚菇咯~

把蒜头切片。把珊瑚菇洗净去根。同时,量好三碗水(三个人喝嘛)把水给煮沸。


热锅加油,把蒜头爆香后放入珊瑚菇大火快炒。把炒好的蒜头和珊瑚菇放入沸水锅内。加入适量chicken stock和盐作调味,煮熟后打三粒蛋进锅内,稍微搅一搅把蛋黄弄散。把火熄了,把盖关上焖一焖。

Ta~da~~

妈妈不在家之食谱(十九):椰菜花虾仁蒸豆腐

回家途中,想起冰箱内除了虾仁好像没有什么荤了,只好在虾仁上“搞搞新意思”。

材料:
椰菜花、虾仁、日本豆腐、蒜米


步骤:
1. 煮一锅水。水沸后把椰菜花抛进去烫一烫,捞起。
2. 把豆腐放在盘中间,用烫好的椰菜花围棋。


3. 蒜米爆香后放入虾仁大火快炒,可以加蚝油或鲍鱼汁调味。

4. 把虾仁淋在豆腐上。放入电饭煲内(饭快要熟的时候)蒸一蒸。

5. 蒸好后撒上香脆蒜米就搞定啦~

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Greater Perth 6D6N Itinerary

As usual, I'll start my travel blog with a very simple itinerary update. I shall have separate posts later for all the wonderful places and restaurants in more detail.
Below shows the self-drive itinerary for our 6D6N trip (of course, I am not counting the flight travelling time). All the stated cost are in AUD, and for 5 pax, unless stated other wise.


12th May 2015 (Tuesday, Abundant sunshine)
Driving route: Perth - Mandurah - Lake Clifton - Busselton - Margaret River
Our Places of Interest: Mandurah Marina, Lake Clifton Thrombolites, Bunbury Farms Market, Busselton. 
Stay: Waterfall Cottages, Margaret River
Breakfast: Greenhouse, Perth CBD
Lunch: The Equinox, Busselton
Dinner: Home cook
Expenses: Avis car rental (Houden Evoke) for 6 days - AUD 437.34; Greenhouse breakfast AUD 86.50; Groceries at  Bunbury Farms Market - AUD 83.00; Lunch at The Equinox - AUD 138.00; Waterfall Cottages (Family Cottage) for 2 nights - AUD 550.00


We arrived at Perth International Airport 5:35am. By the time we got ourself a Telstra SIM card (make sure you get Telstra and not anything else as this is the one that you can get signal out of Perth city), went through the immigration, got our luggage and finally hopped on our rental car from Avis, it was almost 6:45am. We drove to Perth City for breakfast before we start our trip to Margaret River. (Note: Parking charges in Perth City is crazy!! It cost AUD4.20 per hour!) I decided to go to Greenhouse for breakfast since not many restaurants/cafes open at 7am, and Greenhouse seems like those types of cafes that I'd enjoy. Verdict: we love it.

We then had a brief stop at a beach near Mandurah, our first encounter with Indian Ocean. We took tons of photos there, then continue ride around Mandurah Marina and Mandjar Bay.
Meeting the Indian Ocean for the first time

Driving along National Route 1 (Old Coast Road) between Mandurah and Bunbury, you will see the sign of Lake Clifton Thrombolites. Please make sure you turn in and take a look at these living fossils. There's a simple wooden platform so that you can walk to the lake and get closer to the thromblines without causing a threat to these living relic from the earliest days of life on our planet.





Though Bunbury Farms Market was not in our original plan, when we passed by this place along Forrest Avenue, we knew we must turn in and have a look! We ended up spending hours in this lovely place. We couldn't resist and ended up buying fruits and vegetables and meat and other groceries for an unplanned-homecook-dinner.
Colourful!

We continued our journey to Busselton. Didn't go for the Underwater Observatory as plan, but spent hours enjoying lunch at The Equinox and park nearby.
The magnificent fig tree in front of Equinox

I knew sunset would be around 5:30pm. So after Busselton, I ensured we drove straight to Waterfall Cottages so that we could reach before dark since this little cottage is situated in a forest close to Margaret River town.  When we were busy unloading our luggage, some ducks came visit, maybe out of curiosity.

The family cottage that we booked comes with a fireplace, a living area overlook the lawn (huge glass window!), a kitchen that's fully equipped with all necessary utensil. My mum cooked a feast on the first night and everyone went to bed early.


13th May 2015 (Wednesday, Brilliant sunshine and warm)
Driving route: Margaret River - Augusta - Margaret River
Our Places of Interest: Margaret River Town, Voyager Estate, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Baranup Drive
Stay: Waterfall Cottages, Margaret River
Breakfast: Home cook
Lunch: Voyager Estate, Margaret River
Dinner: Muster, Margaret River
Expenses: Estate Tour at Voyager Estate - AUD 175.00; Lunch at Voyager Estate - AUD 162.00; Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse (Adult: $8 per pax, Aged pensioner: $7.20 per pax); Dinner at Muster Bar and Grill - AUD 182.00


Everyone woke up early. We prepared simple breakfast and enjoyed the companion of birds and cockatoos in the garden. Before heading to Voyager Estate, we visited Margaret River town to enjoy a sunny autumn morning.


The Estate Tour by Voyager Estate is definitely one of the highlights of our 6 days 6 nights at Greater Perth. Our fantastic guide, Linda, told stories about almost everything in this magnificent property, and the tour ended with wine tasting (3 whites, 3 reds). We love this place so much, we decided to have lunch at their restaurant and it was perfect!

After wine drinking session for En and papa, I became the driver and we went straight to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. (Driving from Margaret River to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is the only stretch of road that I drove during this trip. Oh, and I love the car we rented.) We were lucky. It's a wonderful sunny day. It was a pleasant drive, cruising among the woods.

The fake-looking-great-blue-sky!
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is situated at the extreme south-western most point of the Australian continent, and the point where the Indian Ocean meets the Great Southern Ocean. Entrance fee is AUD8 per adult, and senior above age 65 get discounted price of AUD7.20 (and my aunt suddenly wished she's older). The entrance fee is inclusive of a personal electronic audio guide system each, and it allowed us to listen to the commentary at our own pace. Well, to me it's just a lighthouse so I didn't really listen to all the tracks. I'm more interested on the view. I love the sparkling blue sea and how the white lighthouse stand out under the sunny blue sky.

Heading back north, En drove again. He purposely drove through the Boranup Drive to enjoy the majestic Boranup Karri Forest. Both of us love this but definitely not the seniors.



By the time we reached Margaret River, it's already 6pm. We headed to Muster for dinner and we sure made the right choice. They served one of the best lamb we had!



14th May 2015 (Thursday, sunny and warm)
Driving route: Margaret River - Rockingham - Perth
Our Places of Interest: Margaret River Chocolate Company, Bettenay's Nougat Company, Margaret River Cheese Factory
Stay: A Charming Home from AirBnB, Dianella, Perth
Breakfast: Home cook
Lunch: Late lunch at Rustico Tapas, Rockingham
Dinner: Home cook
Expenses: tapas at Rustico - AUD 111.00; Fuel - AUD 96.30; Groceries at Woolworths - AUD 43.40


Again, we cooked, and we had breakfast in the garden. We just love the fact that birds and cockatoos eyeing for our breakfast nearby, hiding in the trees and bushes. Of course, we ensure we left some breadcrumbs for them.

After breakfast, again, we went to Margaret River Town for a short stroll. Mum and aunt needed some shopping time while the rest enjoy the sunny autumn morning.

We then headed north, back to Perth. On the way, we stopped at Bettenay’s Nougat Company to sample some nougat and alcohol (Nougat liqueur and honey liqueur!), followed by Margaret River Cheese Factory, and Margaret River Chocolate Company. We couldn’t resist the chocolate aroma so we had another break here for hot chocolate, scones and brownies.


Margaret River Chocolate Company


By the time we finally reached Rockingham, it was almost 4pm. We had our late lunch at Rustico. They serve some of the best tapas that I've ever tasted. The waitress who served us was very friendly and well trained. She spend time explaining the menu, and she asked if we want to make sure all the tapas come in 5 small portion for everyone. We had great time here, enjoying the Spanish music and sampling some of the greatest food they could offer.

The park nearby is a gem too. The beach is clean, the greenery is splendid. We enjoyed a stroll after our late lunch, and took tons of photos there since everyone loves the tress so much.


By the time we reached Dianella, it was already dark. Luckily our landlord from AirBnB was kind enough to leave a light on for us. The simple 2 bedroom house that we rent have everything a home need. After unloaded our luggage, we went to Woolworths nearby for groceries shopping. Cooked a simple meal and everyone rest early after the long drive.


15th May 2015 (Friday, partly cloudy)
Driving route: Perth - Hillary Boat Harbor - Lobster Shack - Nambung National Park - Lancelin - Perth
Our Places of Interest: Hillary Boat Harbor, Pinnacles Desert at Nambung National Park, Lancelin Sand Dune  
Stay: A Charming Home from AirBnB, Dianella, Perth
Breakfast: Home cook
Lunch: Lobster Shack, Cervantes
Dinner: Jamie's Italian, Perth
Expenses: Lunch at Lobster Shack - AUD 115.00; Entrance fee to Pinnacles Desert - AUD 12.00; Sand Surfing Board Rent - AUD 10.00; Dinner at Jamie's Italian - AUD 135.55


We setup breakfast table at our backyard. Lovely windy morning for hot soup, hot coffee and a huge bowl of spaghetti.













Must be great staying in this neighbourhood
After breakfast, we drove to Hillary Boat Harbour for a brief stop (we just have to squeeze every opportunity to get close to the Indian Ocean!) and also to explore the housing area nearby.
My dad met a 75 years old uncle at the beach and they had a long chat! Uncle told my dad about his daily exercise ritual, and how he loves Penang. He gave advises about Perth and Fremantle (must visit the brewery and try all the free beer samples, he strongly recommended. haha!). Too bad we didn't have much time to continue to chit chat with him. We have to drove for another 2 hours to reach Cervantes.

Cervantes is a very small town by the beach. Nothing much to see so we headed straight to the Lobster Shack. Luckily we reached early. There was a huge tour from Hong Kong before we arrived, and there were a few more tours from various countries after we placed order. If we were to arrive 10 minutes later, maybe we would have to wait for at least an hour before our lunch.


Those files!!
After a simple lobsters lunch, we finally got to our main target of the day: the Pinnacle Desert at Nambung National Park. The park is very well maintained, and the thing that we like most is that you can basically drive through the Pinnacle desert at your own pace and stop at any where you like if you found anything interesting. Besides, the tourist information center is very informative. The only complaint: TOO MANY BUSH FLIES!!!! The bush flies were so annoying that I ended up prefer to drive through Pinnacle desert rather than walking that not-too-long-not-too-hard-track.

On our way back to Perth, we stopped at Lancelin for sand surfing. You can go to any shops at Lancelin (not so many to choose from anyway), and rent a sand surfing board with the price of AUD10 for 2 hours (with AUD50 deposit).

Since we had less than 1 hour to experience sand surfing, we decided to rent only one surfing board and take turn to try out. We had great fun but how I wish we could spend more time here, and how I wish we had sunny blue sky for the photo session :)

We ended our day with a great meal at Jamie's Italian at Perth city, and an hour of shopping at Murray Street.


16th May 2015 (Saturday, rain)
Our Places of Interest: Fremantle Market, Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, King's Park, Watertown Brand Outlet Centre
Stay: A Charming Home from AirBnB, Dianella, Perth
Breakfast: Fremantle Market
Lunch: Kailis' Waterfront, Fremantle
Dinner: Home cook
Expenses: Breakfast at Fremantle Market - AUD 47.00; Lunch at Kaili's - AUD 64.00; Groceries - AUD 37.60


We woke up early to a gloomy raining morning. But this couldn’t stop our spirit. We got our water repellent jackets ready and drove straight to Fremantle Market. We arrived at 8am. The market just opened. Many stalls yet to ready for business so we decided to grab whatever we could for a simple breakfast before start exploring this place. And to me, the best tasting coffee of our trip is in the yard of Fremantle Market! After breakfast, Mum and aunt shopped for almost all their souvenirs here while Papa and En enjoyed their guy-time at Cappuccino Strip.

We left Fremantle market around noon and ride around this lovely port city. When the rain finally stopped, we stopped at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour. We immediately fell in love with Kailis’ Waterfront Restaurant! Even though everyone still very full, we insisted to have lunch here and we were all amazed by the excellent fish and chips!


After lunch, we drove to King’s Park. My original plan was to picnic at King’s park (I even have my picnic mat ready in the car boot) but it was wet and windy and cold. Worse still, my dad and aunt left their winter jackets in the room!! We ended up just had a brief stop to snap some photos, and jumped back to our car for heater and drove to Watertown Brands Outlet Centre nearby instead.

Watertown Brands Outlet Centre closed at 5pm sharp. When we left the place, mum said she wanted to cook. Unfortunately, Coles, Woolworth and most of the supermarkets we know already closed! With the help of Google, we found IGA and solved our groceries problem.



17th May 2015 (Sunday, rain)
Our Places of Interest: Caversham Wildlife Park
Stay: A Charming Home from AirBnB, Dianella, Perth
Breakfast: Home cook
Lunch: Hungry Jack
Dinner: Home cook
Expenses: Expenses: Caversham Wildlife Park - AUD 115.00; Lunch at Hungry Jack - AUD 39.10; Fuel - AUD 100.00


Again, woke up to a gloomy raining morning. We visited Caversham Wildlife Park after breakfast. It was fun to meet the koalas, feed the kangaroos, touch wombat and friends, and play with the farms animal. However, the weather was quite bad. It rained most of the time when we were in the wildlife park.


After the wildlife park, the rain just won't stop! We gave up, and decided to just 游车河 along the rivers. Went back to Dianella and cook up a feast.

Rain rain go away.....



18th May 2015  (Monday, rain STILL)
We woke up at 4am, left Dianella at 4:45am, reached airport at 5:15am and ended our short trip down under.


Detail itineraries:
3D2N Margaret River
The Voyager Estate
Day Trip to Nambung National Park
A day in Fremantle
Caversham Wildlife Park

Accommodation:
Waterfall Cottages at Margaret River
Airbnb accommodation at Dianella near Perth



Other itineraries:
2017 - Germany: Upper Middle Rhine Valley One Day Tour (Stay tune)