Accident #1

And I had my first ever biking accident in Shanghai... stupid rain! And silly me :p Going down a wet ramp and squeezing the brakes harder than is necessary is not a good idea. I think I busted my knee :(

Out and About Again

The whole 'Don't drink and drive' tagline has basically come to mean, don't drive your car after you'd downed a few. But it never really crossed my mind that the advice would extend to cycling and drinking, until today. Was introduced to a gorgeous little bar that's advertised as "The best kept secret that you want to keep" or something along those lines. A place that's so obscure and out of the way that you don't really know it's there unless a regular takes you there or you happen to live in the vicinity. It's akin to what the brits would say "our local" where they go to have a few pints, and it's just full of regulars. Conversation going nowhere? No prob, just grab one of their board games or have a round or two of gin rummy. Beer is cheap and the food palatable. But what I REALLY love about the place is the atmosphere. Rustic, cozy, familiar... despite it being my first time there. Sorry, I'm digressing. Anyway, took off from work an hour early and got there in time for Happy Hour - 1-for-1!! hehehehe. 2 beers later and I realise that I have my bike parked outside, and I didn't really know where I was. Interesting. Didn't think it would've been a great idea to attempt getting home tipsy. So reluctantly shared my third beer with colleague while she donated hers to one of the boys. Oh well. Shall think of that little issue the next time I feel like a beer. :p

Oh btw, it was bloody 36 degrees C today but because it's been overcast for the past few days, I didn't really realise just how hot it actually was. So did loadsa cycling today (in a sleeveless top) and I think I managed a sunburn. My arms are tingling the way a burn would usually make them feel and my face feels a little sensitive. :p I guess I can understand why so many local women cycle with these HUGE visors over their faces. And I mean HUGE. They look like they have on those protective face shields welders put on when they work. SERIOUS! But still cycling is fab! If you don't mind how sweaty and grossly sticky you become, that is. I should really consider getting 'cycling clothes' that I can chancge out of once i get to work... hmmmmmmm....

Mah Hot New Wheels!

I've FINALLY bought myself a bike! It's 3 days old today and been out on the road twice. Seeing how it's only a 10 - 15 min ride to work, I figured, why not invest in a pair of wheels! No regrets (so far). The only con is that bikes get stolen so frequently here that I was told to count myself lucky if I still have it after 3 months :p:p Bugger! So I bought myself a super-duper chain lock and try as far as possible to secure my bike to something grounded. I'm actually PARANOID! I can't go into a store for 2 minutes without having to fight the urge to look outside and see if my bike's still there. The pros outweigh the worry though so what the hell... I LOVE MY BIKE! And the great thing is I pay more attention to road signs and my surroundings so I not only get my exercise, I also get to know my way around better. Whoppeeee!

Summertime Dinner

Co-hosted a dinner party at JJ's for a couple of his friends and it was fun!! Being in his kitchen is like being in a candy store for me!! He's got this wonderfully equipped kitchen with all these little knick knacks that I would love to have! And because he's into cooking (hence the well equipped kitchen) we were able to swap cooking tips as well. Anyway, he was in charge of the appetiser and salad while I took on the challenge of the main course and dessert. After our dinner at Finestre's JJ was excited to experiment with one of the appetizers they had on their menu - a variation of a watermelon and feta salad that is a common dish in Israel and Egypt, with tomatoes and a sprinkling of roasted pine nuts added, as well as a dash or two of chilli flakes to give it some bite. But instead of serving it chopped into bite sized cubes and mixed in a large bowl, JJ decided to get creative and dressed large slabs of watermelon with the salad and topped it off with a lemon-mustard-honey dressing. So refreshing on a hot summer evening!

Main course was white fish-fillet in lemon butter sauce. I usually use john dory but since everything here is in Chinese, I'm still not really sure what I bought. The texture turned out pretty good though so I don't really care :p Lemon-butter was the only sauce that was simple enough and that I could do from memory. Just a cup of dry white wine, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, orange juice, salt and pepper and unsalted butter. The original recipe called for about 250g of butter but the thought of all that fat just makes me cringe so I cut it down a little. It didn't turn out as pale a yellow nor as creamy as it ought to, and it definitely had a sharper tang to it, but that was neutralised once eaten with the fish. Served it up with fresh greens and buttered boiled baby potatoes.

Dessert was really simple but such a bitch to prepare! Valencian Caramel Oranges. Since weather's been so muggy, I figured something light and fruity would be perfect, so oranges it was. The last time I did it I added strawberries to add some colour to it but seeing how we're in the middle of summer, fat chance. The tedious bit about this recipe is the fact that you have to separate the oranges into segments by removing the membranes! Arrghhh! But after that the rest is easy. Again tried doing the caramel from memory but I now realise that I'd forgotten to add water to the sugar BEFORE melting it over the fire, so when I added some during the boiling process, the caramel started crystallising and I lost about half of it to a hard shiny lump of sweetness (which i enjoyed :D) . Managed to salvage the rest and the slightly burnt taste it had complemented the oranges rather nicely. JJ had a brainwave just as I was about to dish out the oranges, and splashed a capful or Cointreau over them. A Fab idea! Went really well with the caramel. We then washed it all down with an eiswein that P brought along. Can't say I enjoyed the combination though. I mean the wine was great but I think I would've enjoyed it more if I wasn't having it with the oranges and caramel which were sweet enough.

But all in all, our guests were happy, and JJ pronounced it a success! YAY!

NEXT! BBQ on the 8th of this month!