Petersham Charcoal Chicken

On my sister's recommendation Dad, my brother, sister and I went to Petersham Charcoal Chicken the other night for dinner. It specialises in portuguese style churrasco (BBQ).

We had ordered (in order of how I would rate the dishes):

1. Hand cut chips - these were no ordinary chips - thinly sliced like crisps but enough of a thin pillow of potato to offset the crunchy outer layer. These were very addictive and we were all Ho-ing into them quite literally. Eating potato chips won't be the same. My sister advised you can not order the chips takeaway, so they are only a dine-in option.

2. Steak on a large skewer - We asked for this to be cooked medium-rare. My brother and sister rated it highly but Dad and I found our bits a bit chewy mainly because it was more on the rare side. The flavour was quite good though - smokey tasting.

3. Chilli portuguese chicken - The chicken had a really nice crusty skin. My Dad thought the chicken was dry compared to the way he roasts a chicken. However, compared to your ordinary BBQ chook it wasn't. My sister and her husband love the chicken so it's pretty good!

4. Salad - There was alot of dressing but it helped cleanse the palate from all that meat!

I wouldn't mind returning to try the steak, covered with a mound of those chips of course. The 4 of us were checking out what other tables were ordering (as a foodie family does) and we were wondering why people were ordering just a plate of chips, but as we discovered there was steak underneath. You can also order it with ham and egg on top.

The family next to us started talking to us as we think the husband was amused that an asian family were sitting in a portuguese chicken shop so wanted to know whether we were enjoying our meal. The husband told us he is originally from Madeira and advised this was the best Portuguese chicken place in Sydney! They had an entree of pippis followed by steak and their young son had calamari and chips.

The takeaway counter was packed and there was a 40 minute wait on the chicken for customers who arrived after us.

I may never make it back to this place since it is across the Harbour Bridge, but if I had a craving for steak and chips I'd give this a another go. The meal must not have been too bad as our Dad who normally has something to say about the food, was silently eating away. Dad is a french and chinese trained chef. If you drink, then my siblings also had portuguese beer called Sagres to help wash those chips down....

If you are in the area a lunch could be good as you can also pop across the road to Sweet Belem where the portuguese tarts are fantastic - flaky crusty pastry filled with just-right custard.

Petersham Charcoal Chicken

98 New Canterbury Road

Petersham NSW 2049

(02) 9560 2369 (You can ring to book a table - highly recommended!)

Sweet Belem

35B and 35C New Canterbury Road

Petersham NSW 2049

(02) 9572 6685

United Nude Shoe

These shoes were my 'warm-up' purchase in Nolita. I think my Mum actually has a pair of shoes from this designer (or ones that look like them) which shouldn't surprise me as she was always slightly fashion forward introducing me to the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Melissa before they became fashionable!

I love the simplicity of the design and yet with a twist. I was originally looking at the black with white heel however my size was not available. But this light pink will also work well and help soften my wardrobe. I was aiming for a pair of heels as well but perhaps thankfully not in my size.

United Nude: Established in 2003 by Rem D Koolhaas & Galahad Clark, they are known for their 'clear concept, elegance and innovation', often collaborating with architects, fashion designers, magazine editors and photographers.

http://www.unitednude.com/

All you need is love? Da-da-da-da-da-da....

The other church I visited was on Long Island, North Shore Community Church, where my friends M&C attend.

I arrived at the launch of their '40 days of love' series created by Rick Warren...the guy who also wrote 'Purpose Driven Life', which made it's way around Sydney christian circles some time ago.
The series is based on the 2 most important commandments (Mark 12:29-31) 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength....Love your neighbour as yourself'.

Why is love the primary objective in life?
Rick Warren refers to the first few verses in 1 Corinthians 13 - If I don't live a life of love:
Nothing I say matters (v1)
Nothing I know matters (v2)
Nothing I give matters (v3)

Pastor John and Rick Warren advise against hopping on 'the love train' and 'trying to love' better as this is not the point. It is something much deeper and a call to follow Jesus and model His love.
Pastor John asked some people from the congregation to share who in their life is the best model of love (besides Jesus) and in one sentence what would they say about how to love. Some of the answers were 'not to judge a book by it's cover', 'see people through the eyes of Jesus', 'don't hold onto 'grudges' and 'give whenever you can'.

Pastor John shared how recently his congregation took spiritual gift surveys. Some people are more people oriented whereas others are task oriented. He advised that the task oriented people will probably find it harder over the next 40 days, compared to those who are people oriented due to how relational loving can get. Although, he did say maybe some of the people oriented will need to just sometimes roll up their sleeves and get dirty to action a task in love!

It will be interesting to hear how my friends and their church go after being guided through 40 days of love. Pastor John is expecting testimonies at the end of this period.
How aware are we and how seriously do we love ourselves and others?

Village Church - stillettos and joy

Visiting churches other than your own is always an interesting experience for me. Sometimes it's easy to happily be content in the world and community of your own church. I try to visit other churches in Sydney but it doesn't happen as often as I would like. When you start chatting with someone who may have welcomed you or start singing in worship or pray together, you realise how wide God's family spreads....and moreso when you find yourself in a church in the middle of New York!

The church I went to with M, recommended by A who was had also found himself over there for work, was the Village Church. http://www.villagechurchnyc.com/.

We had not even hit the church door before a young lady came up to us, welcomed us and introduced herself. As we sat in a pew another 2 people got up and approached us from their seats to greet us. This is possibly the most welcoming experience I have ever experienced!

Given the recent economic times and later we heard about how this congregation could no longer afford the rent for the church building, the pastor of this church challenged and encouraged through the reflection time and sermon which I really appreciated. Here are some highlights:

The meditation:
There is certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in travelling in a stage-coach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position and be bruised in a new place. Washington Irving. Tales of a Traveler

Inventory for silent self examination:

• Do I respond to difficulty by considering how I can more deeply trust the Lord, or am I quick to respond by lamenting for the good times to return?
• Am I open to receiving from the Lord the lessons He has for me, even when they come with difficult circumstances?
• Is my trust in the Lord so deep that my joy for him rivals even His very best provisions in my life?

Sermon: The Trail of Trials - Genesis 37:2, 37:17b-28, 39:1-23

In Sam Andreades sermon, he used the analogy of women who wear designer stilletto heels. One woman had shared with him that she rotates her designer shoes throughout the week. Each pair hurts her in a different place, so by the time she rotates back to the first pair, that part of her foot had recovered from the moulding and pain inflicted from the previous week!

Maybe the analogy was a little superficial, but it did help highlight the point that we look at suffering or our trials differently. This woman obviously was willing to trade wearing a beautiful shoe for suffering, but how often do we realise that God moulds us through our trials?

Sam also raised that we can think of ourselves as sponges. Whatever a sponge soaks up, comes out - it shows. In turn our relationship with Christ is shown through what we soak up in our relationship with Him and what then comes out.

Charge:

Go forth,to be shaped by the Spirit in your trials into the character of Christ.

*****

This visit I was really struck by how genuine and warm the people welcomed us.

The third challenge from the 'Inventory for silent self examination' took me and M a few reads to get our heads around. But this question really struck me:

Is my trust in the Lord so deep that my joy for him rivals even His very best provisions for my life?

It dawned on me that we do often measure our joy by our circumstance, what things we have or how 'blessed' we feel. But really our joy should be rooted in the Lord...certainly something for me to really absorb...like a sponge!

Eating my way around New York

Here is a summary of what I ate whilst in New York. The combination of service, food and atmosphere all melded into good dining experiences which Sydney seems to be lacking right now! All the restaurants below up until after MOMA lunch were in Soho and Nolita, within walking distance of where I stayed. I loved that we could go and dine in such cool places and not have to worry about dressing up...not to say that you couldn't dress up!

Sunday 8/2
Brunch at Revel - Smoked Salmon Nova (smoked salmon with poached egg on Turkish)
Highlights - good for people watching!
http://www.revel-ny.com/
10 LITTLE WEST 12TH ST. NYC

Drink/Snack at BREAD
Highlights - warm cosy laid back atmosphere. My fruit salad took a while to arrive but nice to hang out at the bar after a day out.
20 Spring St New York

Dinner at PUBLIC - 2 entrées of Apple soup with crab salad, followed by Marinated white anchovies on quinoa croquettes with spicy saffron aioli
Highlights - fit out of restaurant was very industrial meets library but warm. The music was a bit weird though. I can still taste the crab salad swimming in the centre of the soup and the fresh anchovies.
http://www.public-nyc.com/
210 Elizabeth Street New York

Monday 9/2
Breakfast at McNally Jackson Booksellers - Muesli with yoghurt
Lowlight - the woman (who seemed to be the same one from a year ago) was too laid back with her service and charged me too much (although she did correct it later). There was more yoghurt than muesli. I think this place is better to go for a light lunch or afternoon coffee and serves as a great toilet stop….birds tweet and the walls are painted like a forest downstairs in the bookstore.
52 Prince Street New York

Lunch at Oro Bakery & Bar - Tuna with wasabi mayonaisse on sour dough with fresh OJ
Highlight - the African america woman who served me was really friendly and patient. The sandwich was fresh and I loved that it was small and I could just sit by the window along the wall watching people pass by. I returned later in the week for takeaway and tipped her then also because I just liked her.
www.orobakerybar.com
375 Broome Street New York

Dinner at Bar Marche - Entrée of Goats cheese brulee with roasted beets and blueberries, then Scallop, parmesan and mushroom risotto, and the best hot chocolate!
Highlights - Country like furniture and art with a chandelier encased in Perspex box. The goats cheese brulee was unexpected and was a slice of goats cheese caramelised on the top like a brulee, matched with the tart roasted beets and mint was refreshing. The hot chocolate was the best I’ve tasted in a while and was made on the spot (not a menu option!).

Lowlight - M and I noticed a young girl dining with family and friends. She had a silver sequined band around her head like a halo....we thought she would not be able to get away with that in Sydney!
14 Spring Street New York
http://barmarche.com/

Tues 10/2
Breakfast at Balthazar - Buckwheat crepe filled with scrambled egg, gruyere & ham.

Highlight - exceptional service (I suspect many of the waiters/waitresses are actors!), the waitress complimenting M’s outfit as soon as we had sat down, the food is clean and fresh. This place is suppose to be an institution and I can see why. Love the warm-vintage fit out of this place.
Lowlight - Didn’t get to try the sour cream waffles with berries!
http://www.balthazarny.com/
80 Spring Street New York

Lunch at Lure - ‘Lure Style’ Grilled Cheeseburger served with Fries with 3 sauces
Highlights - The restaurant was fitted out like a ship inside! The burger was perfectly served on a brioche bun with onion rings and a huge serve of fries on the side. Service was exceptional and was a nice hideaway from the busyness of Soho above ground.
http://www.lurefishbar.com/
142 Mercer Street New York

Dinner at a Little Italy local restaurant - Entrée of calamari with tomato sauce followed by pasta with home made beef meatballs
Highlight - 3 Italian men walked in after us and sat next to us - all wearing black and with Al Pacino accents. ML and I were a bit scared! One of their names was Vinnie and ML overheard them saying ‘If someone did that I would kill them’…..they then had followed us to the dessert place and followed us out the exit…ML tried to let them out the door first but they insisted on him exiting first.
Lowlight - Can’t remember the name of this place but it was so-so. My meatballs were a bit overcooked and dry.
Dessert at Ferrara Café - Tiramisu gelato
Specialise in Italian/French desserts. This place is also an institution and I remembered ML had taken J and I there once before on a previous trip.
Highlight - Great tiramisu gelato.
http://www.ferraracafe.com/nyc/
195 Grand Street New York

Wednesday 11/2
Breakfast at Colonial Café - French toast (made from baguette) with fruit salad of banana and strawberries with maple syrup
Highlight - Cosy café fitted out with eclectic collection of café tables and chairs.
Lowlight - I’m unsure whether baguette makes good French toast and it definitely had a crunchy crust…perhaps deep fried as opposed to pan-fried? But it worked in the end.
http://cafecolonialny.com/

Takeaway lunch at Oro Bakery - chicken mayo on sour dough and a chocolate croissant. Hot soy chocolate for M.
Highlight - I purposely walked 3 blocks to get this as I had spent the day sleeping in bed due to a cold. It was worth it, good comfort food. I wanted to try the mushroom tortellini soup but thought my stomach may not be able to take it. M said the hot choc was very good!

Dinner at Delicatessen - Shared appetizer Truffle spinach & artichoke dip (with parmigiano reggiano) with tortilla chips, then Chinoise Salad with Chicken (Cabbage, soy beans, tofu, kim chee, pears, crisp noodles and lime ginger dressing)
Highlight - Ultra trendy crowd, great for people watching, attentive service and homestyle but interesting food. Wanted to try the cheeseburger spring rolls but thought I better stick to the more refined food!
Lowlight - Very noisy, waiter insisting I ordered the salad without the chicken. M heard what I said and even if he accidentally did not hear me, should have not debated with me whether I ordered the chicken or not.

Fashion notes - lots of women in skinny jeans, t-shirts/blouses with ankle or knee high boots over the jeans. M and I didn't think one woman's heels were quite working for her....
http://www.delicatessennyc.com/
54 Prince Street New York

Thursday 12/2
Breakfast at Café Gitane - Orange blossom waffles with fruit salad of banana, bluberry and strawberries with syrup.
Highlight - Apparently Kirsten Dunst frequents this café…good for people watching. Complimentary chocolate with takeaway coffees. M said the couscous is really good.
Lowlight - The 3 waitresses seemed to think that serving customers was a chore. The hostess (dressed in black t-shirt and shiny black leggings) seemed to not care at all. However, the service from behind the bar seemed friendly when ordering takeaway coffees.
242 Mott Street New York

Lunch at Sushiya with M & C - Bento box with sashimi, chicken terriyaki, gyoza, edamame
Highlight - this place packed when we arrived and seems to be a local working person’s hangout.
Lowlight - the bento boxes took ages to come out and normally this is not a problem. The waitress was apologetic but did not offer any consolation. The customer next to us was also a regular and was not impressed.
28 W 56th Street New York (between 5th & 6th)

Dinner at Peasant - Orecchiette Con Cime Di Rape (Orecchiette with sweet sausage and brocolli rabe)
Highlight - this seemed to be a popular eating spot and had a warm rustic interior.
Lowlight - the orecchiette was very rich with oil/butter and the flavours combining the intense sweet sausage, brocolli rabe and star anise was overwhelming….although M managed to eat most of it in addition to her fish! I was also slightly out of it from having a mojito which I clearly can not take, there is a reason why I don‘t drink!
http://peasantnyc.com/
194 Elizabeth Street New York

Friday 13/2
Breakfast at Balthazar - Smoked Salmon Bagel
Highlight - my last breakfast with M. The quality of the salmon was exceptional and even though I initially doubted the side of tomato, it actually worked really well with the spinach, Spanish onion and cream cheese!

Lunch - Moma Café 2
Bruschetta with pumpkin, escarole & shiitake mushroom; prosciutto with walnut & lemon chickpea puree; roasted garlic and anchovy
Highlight - This is the fanciest cafeteria I have been to! Even though it is order at the counter service, they bring you the food and your cutlery rolled in a proper white cloth napkin. The presentation of the food is given attention.
http://www.momacafes.com/c2/c2.html
The Museum of Modern Art
9 West 53rd Street New York
(Dinner at home with the Louies)

Saturday 14/2
Dinner at Besito’s - Guacamole En Malachite, Enchiladas barbacoa y chorizo (Beef barbacoa & chorizo baked in a roasted tomato & tomatillo salsa topped with potatoes, rajas & queso fresco), shared dessert of chocolate pudding (mousse) with candied pistachios.
Highlights - the guacamole was made by a waiter on a trolley at the table with a mortar and pestle. It consisted of avocado, spring onion, cilantro, salt, tomato, chilli to desired taste. Note no lemon. It was then served in the mortar. The beef in my enchilada was tender and slow cooked. Complimentary freshly made churros sticks were given to us and we dipped them in the residual mousse…They even gave us a little Mexican token each - a wire stick figure clothed in coloured thread. The waiters very thick Mexican accent and attention to service was great.

http://www.besitomex.com/

1516 Old Northern Blvd Roslyn (Long Island)

Soho IS in Soho, New York

Planned within 2 days, I've managed to find myself in New York...on a total whim!

Here is a sneak peak of where I stayed in Soho with the genorosity of a new (but feels like old) friend!

May be a while in between posts...

I'm unexpectedly going away tomorrow, so I am not sure how long it will be before I post another entry. Maybe in 2 weeks time, but if things go well in a few days from where I am going to! Keep you posted! : )

Some of the best friendship moments

• When a friend makes you laugh so much your chest feels tight or no sound can come out
• When you get a text asking for outfit advice even though they are half-way out the door
• When a loved one passes and they are there to help prop you up
• When you can go away and do a ‘photo shoot’ in an abandoned house by the road and look totally stupid together
• When you are unsure about a new purchase and a friend offers to buy it from you if you don’t like it
• When a friend prays for you ‘on demand’ or just because they want to
• When a friend makes fun of you like no one else, because they know you know it’s done with affection
• When a friend listens to you talk about the same thing or go through the same struggle, patiently waiting for you to move on or realise what the problem is
• When a friend is willing to entertain you when you are bored
• When a friend tells you, you need to practise your facial expressions because you initially look scary to people
• When friends make you laugh so hard no noise comes out, or your stomach hurts.

What are some of you greatest friendship moments?

The Underdog (Part 2)

A few weeks ago I felt like a sausage roll after tackling Balmoral steps…I know, what’s the point! But let’s not get distracted here…..So instead of going to the French Patisserie, or Pattison’s or Hanna’s Cake Shop which I frequent….I decided since I parked around the corner from the low-end local bakery run by Asians I would give their sausage roll a try….

Their shopfront is one you would find near a train station for example. A small bakery with a old scratched glass serving cabinet which could be rolled back and forth to let the staff in and out. A young asian man greeted me and I ordered my sausage roll. I paid my $3.50 and had not yet seen the ordered item. When I paid the guy, he said ‘thank you, thaannk YOU’. I quickly rounded the corner and peered into my paper bag to see if it would satisfy my craving….I saw a small log of pork mince which had shrunk away from the pastry which was pale and not golden in colour….for a split second I had regretted my purchase as I remembered the deep caramel golden sheets of flaky pastry encasing a juicy rump of herbed mince from the French patisserie. No shrinkage there. But then the young asian guy’s ‘thank you’s were ringing in my ears and that made it worthwhile. It made me think the shop certainly has a lot of competition, I’m not so sure how it has survived with it’s simple shopfront and simple baked items in Mosman!

As I ate the sausage roll at home trying to enjoy the simplicity of it….I thought to myself - sometimes it is worthwhile getting something that may not be the best of the bunch. Maybe I was over-reacting to the young man’s thank you’s….but I know sincerity when I hear it….what more could one want than a trade of a sausage roll and multiple sincere thank you’s!

Perhaps I feel too much for the underdog, but I think on the odd occasion I will go for less than best.

One of my most favourite things - a shoe with attitude

I bought these shoes from the Marni store in Singapore on a big trip in July 2005 with my best 'most fashionable' friend J (You will hear lots about him in regards to my style evolution). This trip we went to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Didcot & Singapore in 27 days. I acquired some very special pieces along the way...these shoes were one of them and remain my favourite all time shoe today. They don't see the light of day very much because I can't walk very far in them due to 'old age' problems. But I love them for what they are and will never part with them. I love that they can be worn with the collar down or up!

I have noticed the past few seasons that collared shoes have crept in which annoys me especially if it is reproduced without quality. I love having unique or hard to find pieces....But I bask in the knowledge that I found and appreciated my Marni's 3 years ago and the leather is butter soft....

Marni: Designed by Consuela Castiglioni since 1994, based in Milan. Feminine, arty, funky, quirky, bohemian, brightly coloured yet elegant. She began with womenswear and branched into menswear October 2001. Consuela describes her work as 'Free from formal constraints. It's dressing with patchworks of fragments, shreds. It's conceiving a narrative wardrobe.'

http://www.marni.com/

Ultimately eclectic yet timeless which is what I love!