Steves Fine Wine and Food

My friends and I went out to a bar/restaurant called Steves Fine Wine and Food on the The Avenue out near uni in Nedlands today. We went for a late night snack, drinks and a catch up. We ordered the fries with aoili, baked Turkish bread and dips platter, and my friend got the soup of the day. The food was presented very nicely and tasted just as good. 

The place looks so fancy from the outside! We thought the food might be overpriced, but it was pretty standard and what you'd expect for a Perth restaurant. There was live entertainment with a singer performing jazz songs and the atmosphere of the place was very relaxed and laid back. There was a beautiful fire place as well and heated outdoor seating where it was a bit more quiet. 

I think normally you will have to book a table, but we rocked up at around 8.30pm without a reservation and were able to find a table for four easily. The service was great and we were really happy with out first time dining here. We'd definitely go again. 

Unfortunately I didn't take my camera with me, and the photos I took on my phone didn't turn out very nice. Sorry :(

Baked Turkish bread platter with dips (unfortunately the dips weren't vegan friendly)

Marc and Angel repost #4

I'm reading new posts from the Marc and Angel Hack Life site all the time, but today I though I might share with you a new post that I read tonight. I strongly believe in a lot of the things that are written in this post, and I can say from experience at trying to apply these things to my own life and attitudes that it does indeed lead to a happier version of yourself. 

Feel free to read Marc and Angel's latest post: 8 Things Unhappy People Refuse to Admit. Let the words really sink in so that you can take away something meaningful from it. Number 1 and 7 on the list are particularly important to me. I find myself constantly telling people to make themselves their best friend. The way I see it, a best friend is always there for you. When you are sad they comfort you; they're someone whose company you enjoy; you readily forgive them for any shortcomings; you love them for who they are...and the list goes on. The person that you have to spend the most time with is yourself; become the type of person you'd want to spend every waking minute with. 

Number 7 on the list mentions being able to accept our true feelings. This is something that takes a lot of time to achieve, but will be worth it in the end. You can't fix a leaking tap if you keep telling yourself that it is the knob that is broken when really the problem is in the pipes. In much the same way, you can't resolve your own issues and problems if you aren't honest with yourself about how you feel. Sometimes admitting the truth is so difficult, but so is having to continue living with whatever problem you're facing. Choose to be the stronger version of you and face the truth head on. "Courage isn't a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.” -Jon Pertwee.

Vegan crumpets with berry compote, peanut gravel and vegan yoghurt

I came across an Instagram photo of a scrumptious looking breakfast at the South Perth cafe Gusto Food. It was homemade crumpets with berry compote, peanut gravel and yoghurt. Wow wow wow how delicious does that sound?!

This is the non-vegan version from Gusto Food (photo from here)

I love peanut anything, so this was something I really wanted to try. But I knew that it would not be the same without the yoghurt, and I was sure the homemade crumpets wouldn't be vegan friendly either. So in the end I just accepted the fact that I'd probably never get to taste this plate of breakfast goodness. 

That is until I came home yesterday and saw a packet of wholemeal crumpets that mum had bought from the grocery store. I also had some blueberries and vegan yoghurt left over from the vegan fruit pizza my friends and I made the other night. I also had peanuts left over from the bun thit nuong cha gio that I made too. It was like all the stars had aligned so that I could make my own vegan replica of Gusto Food's crumpet breakfast. I felt like a winner :P

My version didn't turn out as pretty as what Gusto Food plates up, but I know that if I ever make this again, I will know what to do right, and I guaruntee you that this is probably just as delicious as anything from the cafe. 

My vegan version

 
For my berry compote, I just cooked some berries, apple and kiwi with a bit of water and let that simmer until it had a thick consistency. 

For the peanut gravel I roasted some skinned peanuts in the oven until they browned and then processed them in the food processor once they had cooled completely. If you're roasting your own peanuts, then let them cool overnight because the peanut oil that is released during the roasting causes the gravel to clump up. You want your gravel to look more like powder. 

For the yoghurt, I added 2 tablespoons of Tofutti to a tub of vegan vanilla yoghurt to give it that thick white consistency. 

And I just got the crumpets from the packet. Yeah I cheated...but it was because I was short on time and had to go to work. 

This is one seriously great breakfast meal. Make your own, or go to Gusto Food cafe. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

As you might know from reading earlier posts, I am on a mission to eventually watch all of the movies on the IMdB Top 250 list. 

I wanted a quiet night in so I watched the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (number 76 on the list). It had quite a star studded cast, with Jim Carey and Kate Winslet as the protagonists. 

It is about two people in a rocky relationship who try to erase each other from their memory. It was a very unusual movie and at times it took some time to get my head around what was happening. I think that the concept of the movie was a pretty good one. I've definitely never seen a movie quite like it, and maybe that's why it is on the top 250 list; because it certainly is memorable. 

It was a sweet movie. I like how they didn't sugar coat the idea of romance and love too much. I give it 6/10. 

Here is my updated IMdB Top 250 list. Since my last post (here), I have been able to tick off two more movies from the list: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Life of Pi. Getting there slowly. 

IMdB Top 250 movies (15/02/13)

Rank	Title
1.	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)	✓
2.	The Godfather (1972)
3.	The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4.	Pulp Fiction (1994)	✓
5.	The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
6.	12 Angry Men (1957)
7.	The Dark Knight (2008)	✓
8.	Schindler's List (1993)	✓
9.	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	✓
10.	Fight Club (1999)	✓
11.	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	✓
12.	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)	✓
13.	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)	✓
14.	Inception (2010)	✓
15.	Goodfellas (1990)
16.	Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)	✓
17.	Seven Samurai (1954)
18.	Forrest Gump (1994)	✓
19.	The Matrix (1999)	✓
20.	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	✓
21.	City of God (2002)
22.	Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
23.	Se7en (1995)	✓
24.	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)	✓
25.	Casablanca (1942)	✓
26.	The Usual Suspects (1995)
27.	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
28.	Rear Window (1954)	✓
29.	Psycho (1960)	✓
30.	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)	✓
31.	Leon: The Professional (1994)	✓
32.	Sunset Blvd. (1950)	✓
33.	Memento (2000)	✓
34.	American History X (1998)	✓
35.	Apocalypse Now (1979)
36.	Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)	✓
37.	Django Unchained (2012)	✓
38.	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
39.	Saving Private Ryan (1998)	✓
40.	Alien (1979)	✓
41.	City Lights (1931)
42.	North by Northwest (1959)
43.	The Dark Knight Rises (2012)	✓
44.	Spirited Away (2001)	✓
45.	Modern Times (1936)
46.	Citizen Kane (1941)
47.	The Shining (1980)
48.	Back to the Future (1985)	✓
49.	The Pianist (2002)
50.	Vertigo (1958)	✓
51.	The Departed (2006)
52.	M (1931)
53.	American Beauty (1999)	✓
54.	Taxi Driver (1976)
55.	Life Is Beautiful (1997)	✓
56.	Paths of Glory (1957)
57.	Toy Story 3 (2010)	✓
58.	Double Indemnity (1944)
59.	Aliens (1986)
60.	WALL·E (2008)	✓
61.	The Lives of Others (2006)
62.	A Clockwork Orange (1971)
63.	Intouchables (2011)
64.	Gladiator (2000)	✓
65.	The Green Mile (1999)	✓
66.	Amelie (2001)	✓
67.	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
68.	The Great Dictator (1940)
69.	The Prestige (2006)	✓
70.	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	✓
71.	Reservoir Dogs (1992)	✓
72.	Das Boot (1981)
73.	The Third Man (1949)
74.	Requiem for a Dream (2000)
75.	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
76.	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)	✓
77.	Cinema Paradiso (1988)
78.	Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
79.	The Lion King (1994)	✓
80.	Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)	✓
81.	Chinatown (1974)
82.	L.A. Confidential (1997)
83.	Full Metal Jacket (1987)
84.	Braveheart (1995)	✓
85.	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)	✓
86.	Oldboy (2003)	✓
87.	Singin' in the Rain (1952)	✓
88.	Some Like It Hot (1959)	✓
89.	Amadeus (1984)
90.	Metropolis (1927)
91.	Rashômon (1950)
92.	Bicycle Thieves (1948)
93.	Princess Mononoke (1997)	✓
94.	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
95.	Unforgiven (1992)
96.	All About Eve (1950)
97.	The Apartment (1960)
98.	The Sting (1973)
99.	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
100.	Raging Bull (1980)
101.	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
102.	Die Hard (1988)	✓
103.	Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
104.	Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
105.	Batman Begins (2005)	✓
106.	A Separation (2011)
107.	Pan's Labyrinth (2006)	✓
108.	Downfall (2004)
109.	Yojimbo (1961)
110.	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
111.	For a Few Dollars More (1965)
112.	Snatch. (2000)
113.	The Great Escape (1963)
114.	Inglourious Basterds (2009)	✓
115.	Up (2009)	✓
116.	On the Waterfront (1954)
117.	The Elephant Man (1980)	✓
118.	Toy Story (1995)	✓
119.	The Seventh Seal (1957)
120.	Heat (1995)
121.	The General (1926)
122.	The Maltese Falcon (1941)
123.	Blade Runner (1982)
124.	Rebecca (1940)	✓
125.	Gran Torino (2008)	✓
126.	Wild Strawberries (1957)
127.	Fargo (1996)	✓
128.	The Kid (1921)
129.	Scarface (1983)
130.	The Big Lebowski (1998)
131.	Touch of Evil (1958)
132.	Ran (1985)
133.	The Deer Hunter (1978)
134.	The Avengers (2012)	✓
135.	Cool Hand Luke (1967)
136.	The Gold Rush (1925)
137.	Sin City (2005)	✓
138.	Strangers on a Train (1951)	✓
139.	No Country for Old Men (2007)	✓
140.	It Happened One Night (1934)
141.	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
142.	Jaws (1975)	✓
143.	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)	✓
144.	The Sixth Sense (1999)	✓
145.	Platoon (1986)
146.	The Thing (1982)
147.	Hotel Rwanda (2004)	✓
148.	High Noon (1952)
149.	Casino (1995)
150.	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
151.	Trainspotting (1996)
152.	The Wizard of Oz (1939)	✓
153.	Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)	✓
154.	Warrior (2011)
155.	Annie Hall (1977)
156.	Good Will Hunting (1997)
157.	The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
158.	Notorious (1946)	✓
159.	Gone with the Wind (1939)
160.	The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
161.	Into the Wild (2007)
162.	The King's Speech (2010)
163.	Life of Brian (1979)
164.	My Neighbor Totoro (1988)	✓
165.	V for Vendetta (2005)	✓
166.	Finding Nemo (2003)	✓
167.	How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
168.	Dial M for Murder (1954)	✓
169.	The Big Sleep (1946)
170.	The Terminator (1984)	✓
171.	Network (1976)
172.	Ben-Hur (1959)
173.	Million Dollar Baby (2004)	✓
174.	There Will Be Blood (2007)
175.	The Night of the Hunter (1955)
176.	Stand by Me (1986)	✓
177.	Donnie Darko (2001)	✓
178.	Black Swan (2010)
179.	Life of Pi (2012)	✓
180.	Groundhog Day (1993)	✓
181.	Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182.	Twelve Monkeys (1995)
183.	Amores perros (2000)
184.	The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
185.	Mary and Max (2009)
186.	The 400 Blows (1959)
187.	Persona (1966)
188.	Gandhi (1982)
189.	The Graduate (1967)
190.	The Killing (1956)
191.	Howl's Moving Castle (2004)	✓
192.	The Princess Bride (1987)	✓
193.	8½ (1963)
194.	Slumdog Millionaire (2008)	✓
195.	A Beautiful Mind (2001)	✓
196.	The Artist (2011/I)
197.	The Hustler (1961)
198.	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
199.	La strada (1954)
200.	The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
201.	Rocky (1976)
202.	Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
203.	The Wild Bunch (1969)
204.	The Exorcist (1973)
205.	Stalag 17 (1953)
206.	Rope (1948)	✓
207.	Sleuth (1972)
208.	Barry Lyndon (1975)
209.	The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
210.	The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)	✓
211.	Salinui chueok (2003)
212.	District 9 (2009)	✓
213.	Infernal Affairs (2002)
214.	Argo (2012)
215.	Stalker (1979)
216.	Roman Holiday (1953)
217.	The Truman Show (1998)
218.	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
219.	In the Name of the Father (1993)
220.	The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
221.	Ip Man (2008)
222.	Ratatouille (2007)
223.	Monsters, Inc. (2001)	✓
224.	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)	✓
225.	A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
226.	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
227.	Star Trek (2009)	✓
228.	Like Stars on Earth (2007)
229.	Beauty and the Beast (1991)	✓
230.	Rosemary's Baby (1968)
231.	Harvey (1950)
232.	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
233.	La haine (1995)
234.	Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
235.	All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
236.	Shutter Island (2010)	✓
237.	Rain Man (1988)
238.	Incendies (2010)
239.	The Wrestler (2008)
240.	Nosferatu (1922)
241.	Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (2003)
242.	Mystic River (2003)
243.	Manhattan (1979)
244.	3 Idiots (2009)
245.	Jurassic Park (1993)	✓
246.	Papillon (1973)
247.	Big Fish (2003)	✓
248.	Castle in the Sky (1986)	✓
249.	The Untouchables (1987)
250.	Shadow of a Doubt (1943)