Margret and Basil

I think that my aim with this blog is constantly changing.

At first it was to stretch myself and learn more about food, then I thought, you know what is food without including the people that cook it? So I decided that I would include more about the people around the food as well as the food itself. But then Honestly, can you do that without including the culture's surrounding food? Then I ask, what about that cute little cake shop that opened up down in Maylands, I have to go there and blog about that. Ooo and a tea shop has opened up two doors down, and now I think of it, there are a few new cafes opening up that I have to try. So now I'm touring food shops in Perth. Then on my drive to check out the cake shop (which was closed by four o'clock I might add, meaning that only non-working housewives can go and eat their cakes. Sigh!) I see a sign outside a butcher that advertises a mini market every Saturday morning, so I must go and blog about that too. In fact, now that I think about it, I really should research more places to acquire food, butchers, wholesalers, farms etc. But of course, this would all be in Perth, so here I would be advertising food culture in my little city. What fun it is not to have a specific aim.

The possibilities are endless!

One of my favorite places to shop is the Asian precinct in Northbridge. The smells walking into these shops drive me mad and I could spend hours exploring their over crowded shelves. I bought myself a little present this week from 'Lucky's Emporium', I call her Margret, do ask me why, I just do. I can't believe I lasted thing long without her in my life!

I de-flowered her for a pork dish I made last night, pounding away happily, the smells of the emporium overtaking my kitchen. By the way, garlic, salt and coriander root, pounded to a paste, then mixed with fish sauce, raw palm sugar and dark soy sauce makes for a simple but delicious marinade for Thai pork skewers. 

The other thing a achieved this week was to go out and buy myself some potted herbs. Two types of basil and coriander. I figure if I can keep those alive, something that I am not very good at, then I will reward myself with a few more.  

Out to dinner tonight to farewell our housemate. She is leaving us for new horizons and we are getting two new ones fresh from New Zealand.....I hope they like cooking.