Category Archives: Personal

A place in the country

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If you have read over my site you will know that I divide my time between escorting in Sydney and working over the other side of the Blue Mountains.  A few years ago I bought a one acre property in a small town and built a (tiny) house.

I since then I have been working on the garden in my spare time.  Last year I planted four fruit trees.  This year they are thick with fruit and to help protect the apricots, peaches and nectarines from the dreaded fruit fly I have built domes covered with fabric mesh right over the top of them.

The resulting structure is really quite attractive and I am now looking forward to a good crop of fruit without any hidden surprises!

Apricot jam, here we come.

John.

Water, sunlight, architecture

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Katsura Imperial Villa is a palace built in Japan in the 17th century by Prince Hachijo Toshihito. It is a truly beautiful complex of buildings that merges with their gardens and lake, the reflected sunlight from the water casting rippling paterns across the walls and ceiling. It is possibly one of my favourite pieces of architecture and landscaping (along with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters).

I was reminded of Katsura recently as I lay on the deck of my hideaway enjoying the early morning sunlight with a good book and a cup of tea. The sunlight reflected off the pond below the deck danced on the wall and under the eves of the building bringing to mind Katsura’s design which combines the villa’s lake, buildings, and garden to great effect.

It’s easy to get carried away by the presure of life and work these days and forget to take some time out to enjoy the simple beauty to be found in nature, good architecture, or the form and feel of a lovers body beside you.

John.

The images used in this page come from Wikimedia Commons and can be found here:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geppa-ro.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shokin-tei_seen_from_the_Geppa-ro.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katsura_Imperial_Villa.jpg

 

Ravioli filling recipe

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I made ravioli for lunch recently. I have been asked for the filling recipe by a friend over at Concierge du Monde, so here it is:

Ingredients:

  • Pork mince (250 grams)
  • Sauerkraut,finely chopped (80 grams)
  • Coriander, finely chopped (two tablespoons)
  • 1 Egg
  • Breadcrumbs (4 tablespoons)
  • Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons)
  • Fresh cracked pepper (1 teaspoon)

Instructions:

  1. Drain the sauerkraut and chop finely
  2. Chop the coriander finely
  3. Grate the parmesan
  4. Beat the egg
  5. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until they are completely combined. Mixture should be stiff and hold together well. If it is too wet, add more bread crumbs
  6. Heat some oil in a small pan and drop in a half a teaspoon of the filling. Fry until cooked through, then taste. The filling should be quite strong flavoured. Stronger than you would prefer if you were eating it alone. The pasta and the sauce will balance this out. The mixture is now ready to be made up into ravioli.

I make each ravioli using a rounded teaspoon of the filling mixture. This recipe should be enough filling for fifty or so ravioli. I prefer to make my own pasta. If you do, then the pasta should be rolled as thin as you can make it. I find that gives the best balance of texture and flavour.

Cooking time for these ravioli should only be about three minutes in boiling water. To be sure, pull one out and chop in half to check if it is cooked through before removing the rest. Serve with the sauce of your choice. I prefer a basic tomato, herb, and cream sauce that won’t compete too much with the flavour of the ravioli.

John.

My own hideaway

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Sydney is a great city. It has so much to offer, from the harbour, to bushland, to culture and food. But sometimes I just need to get away from the bustle and business of a large city.

So some time ago I bought a piece of land in a small town in the central west of NSW a few hours from Sydney. Since then (as time allows) I have been building a tiny house for myself. It is not done yet, but it is getting there. I have done all of the work myself (with help from tradesmen for plumbing and electrical). It’s been a fascinating journey for me.

The photo on the right shows me applying the top coat of render to the walls in the living room. The rich browns of the clay render that I used make the room warm and earthy. In summer the clay keeps the room cool, while in winter it stores the heat from the day and keeps it warm at night.

When it is finished it will be my hideaway from the world. A little slice of peace and quiet in a busy world.

John.