Tag Archives: coconut

Down Under: Cairnes, Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, coconut, sugar cane and… and… (XIV)


Nu ai vazut Australia daca nu ai vazut padurea tropicala si Marea Bariera de Corali (si… si… si….). Despre acestea urmeaza sa vorbesc acum, insa o luam incet, ca sunt multe de povestit. Pe rand. Ca sa vizitezi aceste minunatii, un loc recomandat de a incepe este unul din orasele-statiuni din nord-estul Australiei, mai precis din statul Queensland: Cairnes, Port Douglas ar fi printre cele mai bune locuri. De aici poti sa pornesti in aventura vietii tale. Ma rog, una din ele!

Asa ca am avut de ales. Si am ales Cairnes. Si a fost bine. Am fost cu ai mei intr-o excursie de vreo 5 zile in Cairnes si am vizitat tot ce se putea. Incep cu orasul statiune pentru ca de aici ne-am luat zborul in toate locurile minunate. Cairnes e very tourist-friendly. Si cum am fost “iarna”, destul de aerisit si putin populat. Nu vreau sa imi inchipui cum e vara la ei. Cum nu imi plac aglomeratiile in mod special, a fost foarte placut sa ma pot plimba pe malul oceanului lejer. Acolo am simtit si eu in sfarsit ca e vara, am putut sa port sandale si sa stau in tricou si pantaloni scurti. Ce sa spun despre Cairnes? Ca are promenada si mai are o alee pentru biciclisti, si mai are trotuar langa strada, asa ca sa nu te inghesui, ca in ocean nu poti intra pentru ca e pericol de crocodili si sunt puse semne de avertizare si pentru asta au facut ei o piscina imensa, publica, o laguna superba, chiar langa promenada, din care poti vedea oceanul peste cativa metri? Ca e atat de curata si albastra si amenajata atat de frumos incat nu iti vine sa iesi din ea? Are si portiuni cu nisip, si fantani arteziene, diverse adancimi, si zone umbrite si sediul politiei speciale langa, dusuri, zone de gratare si o curatenie de admirat, si… si…. :)) Am vazut mai aproape fluxul si refluxul, de ma intrebam unde a disparut atata apa (ca doar eram cazati langa ocean), pelicani australieni, atat de frumos colorati in alb si negru, o zona pentru copii cu multe tasnitori si alte chestii dragute, cu zona de odihna si de mancat, cu magazin si creme de protectie solara gratis pentru cei care vin sa se balaceasca, asa ca am zis, ce bine e sa fii copil aici. :))

Oamenii sunt prietenosi, calzi ca vremea, camerele mari si toate hotelurile si vilele au cate o piscina, cat de mica, dar o au, pentru ca daca nu ai loc in laguna iar in ocean te mananca crocodilii si rechinii, apai unde sa te scalzi, zau asa? Am asistat si la un week-end plin de evenimente artistice, cu carnaval, muzica buna pe care putini dansau insa ascultau cu atentie, un show pirotehnic superb asezonat cu alta muzica potrivita, facut de un artist, lumini si luminite in copaci de am crezut ca e Craciunul. E un loc superb in care m-am relaxat. In concluzie, Eye Love Cairnes. ❤

In excursia din padurea tropicala am cunoscut un cuplu foarte simpatic si de treaba cu care, intr-o alta zi, am ajuns cu masina la Port Douglas. Si atunci ne-am dat seama ca am ales bine Cairnes. E frumos si in Port Douglas insa mult mai liniste si la scara mai mica totul. Insa in ziua aceea am admirat alte plaje superbe pe drum, am mancat nuca de cocos proaspat culeasa din cocotier (o premiera pentru noi si…. apropo, e minunata. Mi-a placut foarte mult si as mai gusta oricand), am admirat decolarea unui aeroplan,  am ajuns in zona muntoasa, trecand prin campii pline de trestie de zahar, care se recolta, asa ca am bifat-o si pe asta. Si pentru ca tot era “coapta”, nu puteam sa nu ne oprim si sa gustam din ea. Si iata-ne degustatori de zahar. :)) Se mai vinde cum se vand la noi sucurile din portocale proaspat stoarse: suc din trestie de zahar stoarsa in fata ta insa noi am gustat de la sursa. Doar ca am vazut asta prin diverse locuri si ma gandeam, oare cine ar bea apa cu zahar, pana la urma? Dar, avand in vedere ca e natural, de ce nu?

Trecand noi prin holde de trestie de zahar, musai sa vizitam un loc inclus in parcul national si in patrimoniul Unesco (nu stiam ca e dar era anunt acolo asa ca ii cred pe cuvant.) Mossman Gorge. Ce pacat ca am ajuns spre seara! Ce loc superb, ce plimbare frumoasa prin padure! Tare am mai fi marsaluit insa se insera. Oricum am avut parte de o plimbare superba prin padure si am admirat inca o data Natura.

Te las acum sa admiri si pe tine acum. Enjoy!

Jackfruit Salad


My dear friend, James, this is for you. Thanks to you I have learned about something new today, about chakka fruit or jackfruit, that it is your favourite fruit and that is so popular in India where you eat it 6 months a year. I have to say it is the first time I hear about this fruit and I googled for it to learn more. And even when I read that there are fresh jackfruit in London I still haven’t seen one or I haven’t noticed yet, but I will pay more attention now. ;). But it sounds like a very interesting fruit and as I searched for recipes I think I would like a jackfruit curry to eat once and a jackfruit salad. I must add that the recipes with jackfruit are suitable for vegetarians so I know I would like it as I am not into meat most of the times. I will put here a recipe taken from the internet, from this site: http://www.virtualherbarium.org that has more jackfruit recipes so feel free to check it out and cook. Providing you have the ingredients. There is jackfruit in Romania now so I can cook something. But because cooking requires imagination and creativity, I will slightly adapt the recipes so that I can cook it anywhere, even when I don’t have jackfruit. I would take advantage that this special fruit tastes like mango and banana and smells like banana and pineapple so I think one of these fruits can replace it successfully. If you don’t agree, let me know why. Enjoy now a light, fresh and cooling desert for what was left of the hot days of summer. 🙂

Jackfruit Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups fresh jackfruit (or mango, pineapples, bananas for when you can’t find this giant fruit)
  • juice of one lime (or lemon for that matter)
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • ¾ cup golden raisins
  • 450 g (16 ounces) sour cream (go for full cream or full fat yoghurt)
  • ¾ to 1 cup toasted walnuts (optional; I love walnuts so these are a must for me ;))

Method:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine jackfruit, lime juice, coconut, raisins and sour cream. If, after combining all ingredients, you feel mixture needs more of one above item, slowly add according to your taste. Add and mix in toasted walnuts just before serving.

NOTE:   Place walnuts on a cookie sheet, single layer, and toast 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 300-degree oven. Turn walnuts over after 4 or 5 minutes.

Bon appetite!

source: http://www.virtualherbarium.org/tropicalfruit/jackfruit-recipes.html

 

Strawberries For You And For Me


Yes, this is a very tasty dessert for two. Or more. The moment I have made this recipe I fell in love with cheesecake. My favorite cheesecake is the strawberry one, but you can do it with other fruits like mangoes, bananas, kiwi or all at once. Be creative. I have to say one thing. There are a lot of utensils to wash after the fun in the kitchen, so just ask your significant one to do it for you. Joking. But a little help is always welcomed. Another thing I have discovered and liked was digestive biscuits, especially those with dark chocolate.

The recipe is taken from “Good Housekeeping, Cookery Book”, 1985.  You know what is my favorite part? Eating the cheesecake. 😉 So please, won’t you make it for me, once? Please! 🙂

Strawberry Cheesecake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 75 g (3 oz) butter (don’t fool yourself with margarine)
  • 175 g (6o oz) chocolate digestive biscuits, finely crushed (try dark chocolate ones)
  • 50 g (2 oz) desiccated coconut (if you don’t like it, skip this one)
  • 250 g strawberries (or 2 medium mangoes, or 2 bananas or 5 kiwi fruit, etc)
  • 150 ml (1/4 pint) pure orange juice (you know you can make your own)
  • 30 ml (2 level tbsp) gelatine
  • 350 g (12 oz) full fat soft cheese (I use 2 Philadelphia cream cheese, plain)
  • 100 g (4 oz) caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
  • 3 strawberries to decorate (or 3 kiwi fruit)

Method:

  • Lightly oil a 22 cm (8 1/2 inch) spring release cake tin. Base-line with greaseproof paper and grease the paper. If you ask me, I would choose a rather larger cake tin, let’s say about 25 cm, or an oval/ round Jena glassware. And no grease or greaseproof paper at all.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the biscuit crumbs and coconut. Press into the base of the prepared tin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Wash the strawberries and mash them or use the blender for a short while. You don’t want strawberry juice. With mangoes you have to peel them cut the flesh from the flat oval stone, discard the stone and roughly chop or mash the flesh. With bananas or kiwi you can apply the same treatment.
  • Put the orange juice into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatine and leave to soak for a few minutes. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Beat the cheese and sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir in the strawberries and gelatine mixture. Lightly whip the cream and fold into the mixture. By now you have used a lot of utensils. Told you so! 😉 Oh, you can taste a bit.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared tin  (this part is not for mature, busy, angry, over-worked adults: leave a little cream in the bowl and use your fingers to clean it or ask the children to do that and have some fun) and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours until firm. Or make the cheesecake in the evening and leave it over night in the refrigerator.
  • To serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Decorate with strawberries (or kiwi fruit). Now you can enjoy yourselves. 🙂

Bon appetite!