Today's menu:

[Bad_azz]

Well, I feared that a bit before retiring. Specially as I really liked my job, the travelling and lifestyle that went with it. But after 8 years in HKG (my last posting), being 64, fed up with the HKG madness (and the Chinese..), pushing my body a bit hard with partying, I had 3 rather serious warning from nature that I should calm down.
Having start working at 15, my target was to retire at 65 (round number, half a century...), but 3 warnings was enough, I didn't want to push my luck.
And as my Missus was in the same mindset after 15 y in HKG, we decided to switch to the next phase in life.
Was offered a job in China, and one in Australia a few months after being here, but I turned them down.
Seeing all the Covid madness in other places, retiring here in Bali was my best decision since 20 years.
But I have a friend, same job, same career, retired a year after me, settled down in Seoul in a flat, and after 1 year couldn't stand it anymore. He is now back on a project in the UK at 67....
And another one, German, who kept going till 70 !

If everyone was the same we would live in a very bland world.

 

[Balifrog]

Today's was pretty basic. "Croque Monsieur" a popular "bistrot" classic. Usually served with a bit of mixed salad, but we seldom have salad at home.

Dinner, porc blanquette with Basmati rice.

 

[Balifrog]

And a try at "Quatre quarts" cake today.
Close to what Brits would call butter cake I think.
Equal weight of flour, sugar and butter. Plus eggs, baking powder, a pinch of salt and vanilla.
Texture a little bit too "tight", but the taste was perfect.

This evening a small try at strawberry jam, quality of the strawberries is really so so, hence only a small 1 jar trial.

 

[Wisnu]

Nice dinner,

Unfortunately, not mine
Wife and daughter tortured me by WA me these pics from London steakhouse while, I'm alone in Nigeria with Indomie goreng

 

[Balifrog]

I'm alone in Nigeria with Indomie goreng

I feel for you. Hope the lodging is OK ?

 

[harryopal1]

Food for thought. Generally fish are touted as a healthy protein source. This documentary focusses on fish farming and seriously toxic fish and dangerous practices.


It seems wherever you turn when it comes to food production abuse of fertilizers, pesticides and dangerous management techniques along with factory processed foods with overloads of sugar, salt preservatives and chemical additives we are all caught between breakfast and dinner with potential health hazardous sources for our daily needs

 

[Wisnu]

I feel for you. Hope the lodging is OK ?

Not bad at all. We live in company compound, not a luxurious house but has a large garden of more than 2000m2 and a kitchen of 50m2.
It's just that yesterday was very busy, did not have time to cook - forgot to take out frozen meat from freezer.

 

[nosox]

todays spaghetti turned out ok

 

[Balifrog]

The Miss made herself a nice omelette at lunch...

The white stuff with the eggs is cooking cream, makes the omelette a little smoother. Well, as long you don't cook it "cardboard style" ...

 

[Wisnu]

Lunch,
got good whole fresh chicken for rotisserie.

With air fryed potato.

 

[lifelongexpat]

Breakfast this morning. Not quite as good as you'd get in the UK, but close enough...

 

[Bad_azz]

Breakfast this morning. Not quite as good as you'd get in the UK, but close enough...

View attachment 2209

It is missing a tomato

 

[Balifrog]

It is missing a tomato

And the (in)famous black pudding....
When I worked in the UK (London, Sizewell, Newcastle) I regulary had the "local" brekkie, but no beans and no black pudding.
And surely NO MILK in my tea....

 

[Ruserious]

Not quite as good as you'd get in the UK

If you want good british sausages (pork) then try https://www.meadowandbone.com/
It is expensive though at around 25k per sausage. They are based in Bali but ship to Jakarta. The cumberland are great.

 

[Balifrog]

Simple breakfast this morning

And dinner was chicken cooked in mustard, with a cream and mushroom sauce.
With a mix potato/carrots mash.

 

[Bad_azz]

Simple breakfast this morning

View attachment 2212

And dinner was chicken cooked in mustard, with a cream and mushroom sauce.
With a mix potato/carrots mash.

View attachment 2213

Oh I had a similar mashed potato for dinner- but I mix spring onion & cabbage & mooli (daikon?- the long giant radish) in along with my carrots.
I find it a convenient & delicious way to get my veggie quota in for the day

 

[Balifrog]

I find it a convenient & delicious way to get my veggie quota in for the day

And an easy way to have "recalcitrant" young kids eating some vegs they don't really like. Carrots, spinach ...
Spring onions sound like an interesting idea !

 

[Balifrog]

Dinner at our usual French place this evening.

Smoked salmon as starter.

Pork.in cream and mustard sauce for the Miss

Salmon Wellington style for me. First time I have this and it was very nice.

 

[Balifrog]

Yesterday evening Chicken Stroganoff.
With Basmati rice for me

And spaghetti for the Miss

 

[Balifrog]

Another "premiere" ! Yesterday I made a little bit extra "chicken stroganoff mix" as I had an idea in mind...
So today we made "Creamy chicken and mushroom pie" using the Stroganoff as filling (it are nearly the same ingredients anyway).
Worked out pretty well, except we'll have to roll the (homemade) pastry dough a little bit tinner next time. You can see it was too thick, and had difficulty to properly cook. The fact that the filling was really creamy didn't help.
But otherwise very happy with the result and I gave the Miss a 8,5 / 10 ! Well deserved as she did the whole "dough" part.