Networking or conexión de redes (Spanish)

This week was about amazing food rather than the coffee. I was lunching, or should I say networking.... ; ^ ) with a friend Lyn, who is also in HR and a foodie.

We went to MoVida.

http://www.movida.com.au

I've been wanting to go to Movida for a while now. The Spanish food movement in Melbourne has really taken off and Frank Camorra has established a top quality restaurant that is highly talked about here. He was voted chef of the year in 2008 and quickly established a 2 chef hat rating at Movida. He has also opened Aqui as a sister restaurant with a slightly more casual atmosphere and also catering to larger groups.


Spanish is one cuisine that I am enjoying tasting and learning the flavors. I am yet to do any Spanish cooking classes, but having tasted great Spanish food now it's very enticing and to be able to make a few tapas dishes has to be next on the list.

We shared 3 tapes dishes to start with starting with an egg/cheese custard with shaved black truffles served in an egg shell. It was delicious. Next was a little toasted sandwich with sardine paste and bell pepper slices, very different taste, will say not my favorite. Then a Rottness island scallop with Garlic soup, yum all washed down with their own brew of sangria.

For main course we shared 3 dishes. My favourites were the Spinach, chickpeas in a mild curry spice, and the slow braised beef cheeks which were so tender the meat just melted in my mouth.

I couldn't resist the dessert. Creme caramel. I still remember this was the very first dessert I learnt to make, probably at the age of 12 or 13 at my aunties place in South Yarra with her cook or maid I think. It was delicious.

A very productive session of networking was completed over a leisurely 3+ hours.. on a Wintery Melbourne afternoon.. Who has time to go back to work!!

Have you tried Spanish food? Where is your top place for great Spanish food?

Oh, and this week my friend Leo and one of his employees completed the painting inside my house. It looks great, and they did a fantastic job.

Narelle

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Making stock and Taking Stock

Today I woke up to the alarm so I could be up and out for a morning appointment in the city. My alarm has also been on a holiday for a few months now too. I have forgotten what Monday mornings were like!

After my appointment I check my coffee app for the nearby options and selected The Journal in Flinders Lane between Swanston & Elizabeth Sts in the City Library building.

In terms of atmosphere and space this would have to be one of my favorite places so far since starting my blogging journey. Perhaps because it is a quieter, spacious place that is a little out of the way. The music is acoustic and subtle in the background and people talking quietly in their groups, or like me on their iPad/computer. Perhaps because it is Monday morning and I like many others are just warming up for the week slowly. The service was great and coffee was perfect.




This week I am getting over a horrible head cold that I woke up with last Monday morning. Having spent the week in the warmth of home on the couch with the tissue box, lemon and honey drinks watching the Tour de France. Go Cadel! Sorry no blog last week.... It is nice to be out and about again taking steps towards my next role.

Over the weekend I made my first batch of Chicken stock which I can now store in my new 90ltr freezer, a purchase so I can readily store my stocks,sauces, and purchases from the Vic market.

The stock was so easy..surprisingly so and much more flavorful than the stock you buy in the supermarket. 2kg of Chicken bones from the local chicken shop with some veggies, a few herbs, garlic, black peppercorns and just let it simmer for 4-6 hours. Adding water and skimming along the way.
There is differing views from some chefs on the length of time to simmer the stock. Some say the longer the better. Others say 4-6 is enough. For my first time I simmered for 6 hours and was very happy with the end result. I now have 6 litres of delicious stock stored in my freezer, ready for some soups, stews and sauces.

My next stock will be Vietnamese master stock which does require a day or so to simmer to get the complex flavors for a delicious beef pho.

My other activity this week is de-cluttering or taking stock of my 'stuff' and doing a bit of a clean up. Since returning to Australia almost 2 years ago I have not really gone through and cleaned out. It's a good time to do that room by room and pile it up in my basement ready for dispersement. I am being pretty ruthless on what to get rid of and what to keep. Of course this is also in preparation for the house painting starting in a week or so.

I would rather make stock, than take stock.....much more fun.

When was the last time you made stock or took stock?
Which do you prefer?

Narelle


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Networking and Decorating...

Today I wanted a great coffee after a meeting with a recruitment firm. Time to reflect on the discussion, and try a new cafe at the King Street end of the city which I do not normally venture to.

Dancing Hairy Goat was the closest with a 2 bean rating. A popular cafe that has received a 3 cups rating in the new Age Good Cafe guide that has been released recently. We take our coffee very seriously here in Melbourne, probably due to the high immigration of italians back in the 50-60's.

When a cafe gets a top rating it really really draws the crowds from far and wide to check it out.




The owners and staff are young and passionate about coffee and the cafe and exceptionally proud of their rating. Even the barista's mother dropped in for a visit for a coffee and hug! The coffee was good and service efficient. It's a pretty small place but all tables were full for the time I was blogging and lots of office workers getting their fix.

This week has been about two big themes for me.
Stepping up the job searching and decorating my house.

The house decorating is the really fun bit especially having the time to visit stores, get ideas, research on the Internet and do some room concept design plans. As I have completed a 2 year interior design course at RMIT some years ago I have some skills that I can put into practice again. This week I have selected paint colours, engaged a painter who I know and started looking at fabrics for blinds, lamps, mirrors and other ideas to achieve my theme and goal. Of course budget planning is important for me right now, so the decorating will be done in stages.

On the job search side I am fortunate being in the HR profession that I already have contacts with many of the big executive search firms. So my week has been talking, emailing, meeting and having coffee with my contacts and extending my network even further. One key message from everyone is to "network network network". The exec job market in Melbourne is more informal and knowing someone who can link you and introduce you works best, rather than relying on getting a phone call.

For someone like me who is an introvert by nature it will require me to step out of the comfort zone to broaden my network. So some thinking and planning is required including setting some goals to achieve the network connections and make it work for me. It's fun so far as most people are very open to a coffee and offering introductions, it's such a way of life here.

What's your experience of networking?

What would be your top two tips to me be?

Have a great week.
Narelle
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad