Classic Bruschetta

A classic bruschetta with simple salsa and fresh Parmesan cheese.  If you have old Italian bread, use it to make this delicious entree dish

• 4 slices crusty Italian bread
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/4 red onion, small
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbs chopped Parsley
• 4 tbs Parmesan, shaved

Back to School

It’s almost the end of January…  time passes to fast!  Whole this month has been pretty quiet for bagelier business as many people left Perth and went back to their home countries.  It was kinda nice  to me though, I could totally relax … :p

Now customers started to come back already and my everyday duty (making bagels) is back to as it was before, which is also a good thing!

By the way, I was so freaked out this morning …  There was a blackout around my house area, and Westernpower said the power will back around 10:30 am.  Oh my gosh, I have my dough in the fridge resting and waiting for being delivered to customer next day!  (T0T)  aaa…  I was so worried, but the power actually got back on around 9:30 am.   phew.. relief ..

It made me realized how important the electricity is in our lives! I couldn’t make coffee, I couldn’t toast a piece of bread, (couldn’t bother toasting on the stove) …  no tv, no computer …

“I Survived A Japanese Game Show”

“I survived a Japanese game show” started on channel 7.  This is an American reality show that saw its first season premiere on ABC June 24, 2008. details

Obviously it is a fake show, yes.  We don’t have such tv show in Japan called “MAJIDE” and they made it up for this American tv show.  Besides, the host of this “MAJIDE” show (the guy on the photo above) is an actor.  (his official website)

Watching this really makes me want to scream…  all the audiences and casts (Japanese) look so weird!  :p  Please don’t mistake that all Japanese people are that crazy!!

On the other hand, the games that American people has to do on the “MAJIDE” show are pretty normal stuff you see on tv in Japan every day :p  Wearing weird clothes, jumping around, etc etc.  Japanese comedy shows are very funny, but sometimes I don’t get :p

You can see from Takeshi Castle (風雲！たけし城).  This show was aired from 1986 to 1989 in Japan, long time ago, and it was already crazy funny.  In Aus, this tv show was shown on “V” (called “MXC”) on Foxtel before, and now is on Fox8 channel, however the story of the show is totally different on “MXC”.  They dubbed it into English, and what they talk about in the show doesn’t make sense at all.  I don’t know much about the original Takeshi Castle, but English dubbed version sucks…  

I missed Japanese tv shows so much when I just came to Perth.  Very different here.  But, I don’t say I like all the Japanese comedy shows.  Some of them are too much :p

Fireworks

I’m sure many people went down to City area to watch the fireworks last night.  I thought there were fireworks on the New Years Day too in Perth, but apparently only on Australian Day.  

I didn’t go to watch fireworks but I could see and hear a bit of it from my sister’s house in Mt Lawley.  I’ve been to South Perth to see the fireworks once, I think it was 5 years ago :p  I remember there’re so many people (drunk) and many police officers…  

Watching the fireworks last night recalled a memory of summer in Japan.  I haven’t been able to watch fireworks in Japan for 7 years now.  I’m sure every prefecture has its own fireworks events every summer, and some of them are pretty big, but I always go to the one near my house.  

Shiga has few cities which do fireworks, and the one in Otsu city (capital city in Shiga) is apparently the biggest one among those cities.  I don’t go to Otsu, but go to Hikone city which is the closest to my house  

from http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/hanabi/

Because there is Biwa Lake in Shiga, the biggest lake in Japan, they ignite the fireworks on the boat floating on the lake.  Even though it’s just Hikone city’s fireworks, it’s really beautiful and usually it keeps going for 2~3 hours.  In Perth the fireworks is just for half an hour?  

There are many stalls selling food at the fireworks area.  Takoyaki, Kakigori (shaved ice with syrup), yaki-ika (grilled squid) etc etc.  People wear yukata (Japan’s summer wear, casual kimono) and watch the fireworks while enjoying those food

Aaaaaaaa writing this really makes me want to watch the fireworks in Hikone!  I wish I could go back to Japan during summer around August, but I don’t think I can this year  Hopefully next year…

Spicy Fried Rice with Kimuchi (Kimuchi Cha-han)

Cha-han means “fried rice” in Japanese.  Add kimuchi to make a sour and spicy Korean flavored fried rice.

<kimuchi Cha-han> serves 2

• 1/2 cup kimuchi (Chinese Cabbage), roughly chopped
• 2 bowls steamed rice, cold
• 1 egg
• 100g beef, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• chopped spring onions for garnish

1. Heat a wok over high heat.  Pour in vegetable oil, then stir in garlic and beef: cook about 30 seconds.  Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs.
2. Stir in cooked rice and kimuchi.  Cook over high heat, and shake in soy sauce then toss rice to coat.
3. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

You can add more kimuchi to your liking