Signs and symtomps - Multicultural meals

Talk about multicultural in Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008.

Souvlaki made with Sweet and Sour Pork and wrapped in a Cornish pasty???
Special fried rice in vine leaves and bangers and mash perhaps.
Battered fish with fetta cheese and a dash of soy sauce anyone?

Chinese New Year

First Day of Chinese New Year. And according to the Chinese zodiac the year of the pig. There are some public celebrations in Australia, even in Adelaide. But many Chinese people here just have a dinner with close friends and family.

The picture is of a group of pigs that live on Rundle Mall, the main shopping pedestrian mall in Adelaide.

Wishing all a Happy Chinese New Year. May you have good health, happiness and peace :)

This and that - Coconut scraper

There are many tools to get the white flesh of coconuts. A method traditionally widely used in Southeast and South Asia is the coconut scraper. That's what I call it anyway.

Also known as 'kratai', a homonym for rabbit, in Thai. So some are made in the shape of a rabbit (the seat part). Or perhaps the word really is derived from a rabbit chewing the coconut. Southern Thais also call it a 'luck-koot'.

Usually consisting of a wooden seat with a handle that juts out and a fanned, jagged metal bit at the business end.

One then sits on the seat and grasps, with both hands, half a coconut that's been denuded of its husk (for easier handling). With a rhythmic up and down motion over the metal scraping part a pile of white shavings is produced. The force is on the downward stroke.

Now the scrapings are ready to be made into coconut milk/cream for curries or to sprinkle over desserts or to 'roast' in a wok to bring out the nutty flavour.

Visitors

Had my first visitors staying over since I moved into the flat about a month ago. Dougs and Jan from Melbourne came to Adelaide for Dougs' cousin's wedding. Was a New Age sort of wedding which was 'over-the-top' in terms of opulence according to Jan.

They had E-type Jazz, one of Australia's best jazz bands playing at the wedding.

I managed to get time off working this weekend so managed to go for dinner with them last night and sent them off to the airport this morning. They had to rush back to Melbourne to attend another wedding. Dougs and Jan are having a 'Four-Weddings-and-a-Funeral period'. The funeral is for a family friend of Dougs.