first dinner party of the month

First dinner of the month of September...I had some friends over for a post-Merdeka Day celebration...

Capellini with tuna bits and garlic chilli oil

upside down parmentier of twice-roasted lamb with herbs...

 Salad to wash things down...

Tiramisu, because it was easy to make, even easier to eat...

Victoria! Victoria!

I 'visited' one well kept secret in the Raub district - Casabrina in Sang Lee village...it is a beautiful Balinese villa perched on top of the hill with a commanding view of the rolling hills with total privacy. What actually interests me was the collection of waterlilies (nymphea) which is uncommon in this part of the world and of course, the magnificent Victoria reginae from the Amazon, right here, 20 minutes from my house (and I didn't know it existed!)...

a green frog on the lily pad

huge leaves on the pond

spiny undersides

perfect pink bloom, not the Victoria

another

and another

a tropical variant

 Heart-shaped young leaf - allusion to a bleeding heart? Nature has its own ways...

another young leaf 

 a blue dragonfly resting

Dinner for 5

Last Saturday, some friends came for boating activities up the Jelai River and I decided to throw a simple 3-course dinner for them. The tiramisu was made in about 30 minutes the day before and the rest, well, after the outing...somewhere in the evening...

 Happy but tired faces - full day in the sun and nature.

First course - tomatoes two ways: firstly, diced tomatoes were marinated in a truffle oil-infused vinaigrette and echalotte; the second a simple large piece of fresh tomato laced with a thin slice of Comte cheese... 

Main course: Calamars stuffed with a mix of breadcrumb, pork, echalotte and cèpes. This was baked with a dressing of garlic oil. Served over a purée of steamed cauliflower 'Jacaranda' and new potatoes, sauce beurre blanc. 

Dessert: Tiramisu and seedless 'champagne' grapes