My weekend

...isn't it funny how fast and quick a weekend can go by when you are having fun?? Left work on Friday, done some shopping and went home to start my cooking session for Caz. She is turning 30 this week and we had a big BBQ at her place. And I was honoured that she asked me to help a bit with the food (not that she needed any help as she is a great cook herself). Anyway, I made Scotch Quail Eggs with chicken herb crust, my cream cheese was still hanging in the fridge (made it on Thursday), made the caramelised onions and pastry for the goats' cheese tarts.

On Saturday morning then, I baked the tartlets so that we only needed them to be assembled before they were served and I finished the stuffed peppers for which I used the homemade cream cheese. I mixed it with roasted garlic and crunchy almond nips. I also made some spicy nuts which I coated with egg white and caster sugar together with the spices and baked in the oven for 10 minutes. After they cooled down they had a lovely crunch to them. The cooking session was then ended with two salads (leek and pineapple & sweetcorn and horseradish) and off I went to Cobh with Wendy. We had a ball and have some new wrinkles in my face as I was laughing so hard. Didn't drink any of the wicked wines as I had to drive back to Cork but the rest of the gang were happy out with the wine at hand.

Sunday I tried to free the cabbage in the garden from weeds and I wonder how it comes that when I think I cleared one square and I turn around....swupp there they are again - laughing at me. Anyway, I tried my best. Since the weather was getting a bit cloudy and chilly I thought it would be a great idea to go to the cinema and so I asked Steve to join me. We watched Iron Man....(hmmmm - nothing to write home about). I then wanted to try Augustine's in Washington Street. They have opened a couple of months ago and so far I didn't pay them a visit. But it wasn't meant to be as they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Steve being a meat eater we opted for Soho......which was a big mistake on my part. I have been there last year and liked the food.

This time ordered Tempura Prawns with a soy dip. Batter was too sweet for my palate and the soy dip killed the subtle flavour of the prawns. My main course was suppose to be Pasta Rigatoni in a sun-dried tomato sauce. The sauce was split and I had an oil puddle in my plate. The cheese the pasta was sprinkled with was grated about a year in advance as it was so hard that it didn't even melt anymore and the sun-dried tomatoes were left whole which I personally find a bit hard to eat. After 2 bites I asked the plate to be removed as it was non edible. I asked the waiter to tell the chef that he should not bring a sauce that had been prepared in advance back to the boil as it will always split. Steve had Winter-Mushroom Soup (in June???????) and thought it was lovely. So when I was asked if I wanted something different, I asked for the soup. I don't know how you all make soup but I don't put in corn flour or any other flour. I refuse to believe that Soho would opt for a packaged soup but it had the consistency of it. So I left half of that behind as well. Steve was happy out with his Hot-Rock-Trio. Three different types of meat which he can prepare himself on the plate. Served with chips and garlic bread. It was a joy watching him eating. Since I had lots of space in my belly, I opted for dessert and chose a Vanilla and Honeycomb Cheese Cake. the biscuit base was lovely....the cheese had no flavour at all (it was basically a white mass with nothing to it). Steve had Springrolls with apples and vanilla ice cream which he loved. The evening was not very good for my soul....but definitely good for the figure.

Will I go again???? No unless it is for an after dinner drink (dinner being eaten somewhere else). Saying all that, the staff in Soho is lovely and very attentive. They dealt with me in a very professional manner and I felt comfortable enough to have a good time despite the food.