Saturday, March 23, 2013

WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE LIKE A BIG PIZZA PIE….

Yorkeys Knob
YorkeysKnobClifton BeachEllisBeach near Port Douglas



Oops! Sorry! I bet you’re singing “It’s Amore” now! The song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day! I hope you’re not smartin’, Dean Martin!

In the late Eighties while living at Yorkeys Knob (and later at Clifton Beach) I worked in a real estate office during daylight hours; and, at one stage during that time, I spent my nights operating a small pizza eat-in-takeaway eatery in Yorkeys’ piazza for a lady who owned two others; one in Cairns and another at Machans Beach.

Yorkeys Knob was named after George “Yorkey” Lawson, a beche-de-mer fisherman who originally hailed from Yorkshire. “Yorkey” gave up fishing and “beche-de-mering” for farming. In other words, one could perhaps say he became beached! As it happened, his agricultural venture failed because hungry rampaging bandicoots and wild pigs stormed across his fields, eating and destroying most of his crops; what was left over the crocs finished off!

Yorkeys Knob is one of the northern beach suburbs of the tropical city of Cairns, Far North Queensland. When I first arrived in Yorkey's I rented a townhouse a few metres from the beach; and just around the corner from the yacht club. Everything that end of Yorkey's Knob Road was within easy walking distance; the small shopping centre; the yacht club and the beach. After living in the townhouse for a time, I then moved to the other end of Yorkeys Knob Road....it was long stretch of road.

The renovated "Queenslander" (a name given to the architectural style of older Queensland houses) I moved into was situated on a parcel of land that had been portioned off from a cane farm. The cane farm had been in existence on that area of land for many, many years...from when the land across the road had been turned into cane fields. Before the land was converted into sugar cane fields ithad been wetlands; and the home of many crocodiles. Tom Mason, the owner of the land had been a cane farmer all his life; as was his father before him. Tom had been born and bred in the house that he and his wife lived in. They raised their own, now grown family in the same house.

The house I was renting had been moved onto land adjoining Tom and his wife's house for their son and his wife to eventually live in, once they finished their studies at an agricultural college down south. In the meantime, I was the house's paying tenant.

The Bruce Highway, Queensland's major highway commences at the Pine River on the northern outskirts of Brisbane, Queensland's capital and passes northwards through areas along the eastern coast from its starting point to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The Bruce Highway is 1652 kilometers or 1,027 miles in length, from whoa to go! From Cairns north the highway becomes known as "The Captain Cook Highway" - it runs from Cairns north to Mossman (75kms or 47 miles in length). The Captain Cook Highway passes through the northern beaches between Cairns and Mossman, of which there are about 13 named beaches along the way (not all inhabited).

Mossman is situated a little less than 20 minutes drive north-west of Port Douglas.

I only give these intricate details to help you gather together an image of where I was living at the time of this tale that I tell.

I'd moved to Yorkeys Knob after leaving Hinchinbrook Island. My desire and need to be close to the ocean remained strong.

A group of young lads started hanging around outside the pizza shop in Yorkeys Knob each night, riding their skateboards up, down and around about the parking area, night after night. Their numbers ranged from six to eight; sometimes as high as 10. There, of course, was a leader of the pack; a brash young blade, quite tall for his age; dark of eye and hair; handsome in a youthful way. Totally aware of his presence and appearance, his charm matched his looks.

When the young fellows first started hanging around I kept a discreet eye on them from afar, but it soon became obvious to me they were just kids out to have a bit of innocent fun. In those days the area really had nothing to offer teens. Trouble was begging to happen. I never heard many stories of havoc being caused, but there were some minor problems.

I befriended the lads, believing it best to have them on my side than not; and, every so often I’d give them a couple of subs filled with tasty ingredients, “on the house”, to share amongst each other.

They didn’t expect the freebies; and they never took them or me for granted. The lads were appreciative.

Although I copped a dressing down from the owner when she found out about the free subs, I continued with the practice.

Unspoken, the lads had become my junior Lord Protectors. Through my giving them a free sub or two every so often, I knew they kept an eye out for my safety, and also an eye on the shop. It was cheap payment for protection, I believed. Woe betide anyone who would dare try to do harm to either me or the shop! The lads were my skateboarding guardian angels. They were good kids who shared with me many of their dreams and aspirations. I hope they fulfilled those dreams. Most of my customers were regulars; all pleasant people.

One night there was a power outage just on opening time. The pizza oven and range were both gas, but I was otherwise engulfed in darkness, making it impossible to successfully prepare food. However, a knight in a large, shining four-wheel drive came to my rescue. With his headlights beaming, he drove his vehicle up onto the footpath, right to the doorway of the shop, leaving enough room for patrons’ access and egress. The vehicle’s lights lit up the shop. I didn’t miss a beat, a pizza or a customer (nor did I beat a customer) all night!

Ultimate Italian Sub: Lay out an assembly line consisting of 240g each: mortadella, coppa, salami and prosciutto, 150g provolone, 1c pitted green and black olives, 2c giardiniera (Italian pickled veges), 1 jar marinated artichokes, drained, chopped. Slice 1 large round loaf, 10-inch diameter in half; scoop out insides, top and bottom to make cavity. Evenly layer the ingredients in order; ensure to use all meats and cheese. Once loaf is filled and topped, wrap tightly in wrap; put heavy pan on top to weigh it down; chill at least 4hrs; unwrap; slice in wedges; drizzle with balsamic.

Rocket Chilli Prawn Pizza: Grab a pizza base; place on lightly-greased tray. Heat 1tbs olive oil; add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2tbs chopped red onion and 2 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped; cook, stirring, 1min. Add 10-15 medium green prawns; cook 2mins. Spread 3tbs tomato paste over base; top with prawn mixture, crumbled feta or goat's cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese; season; bake 10-12mins at 220C. Top with baby rocket; serve.

Artichoke-Goat Cheese-Chicken Pizza: Sprinkle 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with dried oregano; season with salt and pepper; place chicken in pan; grill 2mins per side; set aside. Preheat oven 230C. Mix 125g goat cheese and 1/2c ricotta in a bowl; spread evenly over 12-inch pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with chicken, ½ a chopped red onion, 10 small olives, sliced (optional), 1 c halved, drained artichokes, and 2 large plum tomatoes, diced; sprinkle with 2tbs parmesan. Bake until parmesan turns golden, about 8mins. Sprinkle with fresh oregano; serve.

Similar style and vintage of the house I rented in Yorkeys Knob

23 comments:

  1. It sounds to me as if giving those young men a free sub or two was a very cheap way of ensuring the safety of you and the shop. I hope the owner came to understand that. (But her bad luck if she didn't). It is way too hot in that neck of the world for me, but it does have a lot of charm. And I would love to live by the ocean. Some day...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness, girl ... if only you'd come and cook for me !!! I'm hapless in the kitchen and blame my mother, an excellent cook but an impatient teacher. Neither my sister or I cook .... something I think I will have to remedy sooner or later ...!

    xxx

    ps. loved your journey down memory lane - you were and still are quite lovely, inside and out :)

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. It does get hot up that way, EC; but the sea breezes all help...and, of course, I was younger then. I left the northern areas to come back down to south-east Queensland in 1998. I'd lived up in the north for twelve years...it was time to come back to my old stomping grounds.

    It still gets pretty hot here during our summers...as it does else throughout this country. I guess we become acclimatised to the areas in which we live. I prefer our winters to our summers these days...our winter temps are pretty near perfect to my way of thinking. :)

    I'd love to live near the ocean again, too...and as you say...someday...perhaps...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alas, bandicoots have been the bane of my existence for as long as I remember. No, I have never actually seen one up close and personal, but that does not make it any less true.

    Oh, and our little Grayson now wants to move to Yorkeys Knob. He is, after all, a yorkie and carries with him a great sense of entitlement. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My Aunt Chris went to Cairns around 1926. You may have met her, but she has gone now.....
    "The sea, the sea...."
    "The heat, the heat!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. G'day RDG....I don't do three-quarters of the cooking I used to do. I make more salads than anything else these days...getting lazy! ;)

    Thank you for your nice words. Take care. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bandicoots are harmless little creatures, Jerry...they are similar to wombats in their habits...it is often said that they, the bandicoot and the wombat - eat roots and leaves.....

    Similar could be said of some of the males in our own species! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Adullamite...I do doubt, sorrowfully, that I would never have had the pleasure of meeting your dear Aunt Chris....she, unfortunately, on behalf of us both, was way before my time; or on the other hand...I was way after hers.

    But...if we had met I'm sure we would have walked along a she-oak and coconut palm-fringed beach sharing our life experiences and dreams as we sipped on margaritas; the afternoon sea breeze gently caressing our bodies; while being lulled by the soothing melody of the ocean softly tickling the shore. All around, seabirds wending their way home pay homage to the sun as it begins its final farewell to the day! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I must admit that you were right, my dear Adullamite. For Lee really doesn't appear to know what a mean streak is--let along have one a foot wide and jagged on the edges!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh! But, Jerry...you are wrong! I can be a mean old bird if my feathers get ruffled! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I know nobody like that Jerry.......

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmmmm....Adullamite...there are two ways of reading your "I don't know anyone like that Jerry..."

    Did you mean you know no one like Jerry?

    Or, perhaps, with the use of a comma and a question mark, did you mean -

    "I don't know anyone like that, Jerry?"

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am sorry for butting in, but you are really hitting below the belt now, my dear Lee. For with him being a true Scot, you know that he was born grammatically illegitimate!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You crack me up, Jerry!! I love your last line...can I borrow it sometime, please? :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. What I have written I have wrote.....

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'll have my people get in touch with your people about that, my dear Brenda.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fair enough, Adullamite...I understand...I just needed clarification.

    Thank you for clearing that up for me! I can now rest easy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Brenda! Brenda! Who's Brenda, Tom?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Whoa, I have no idea where that came from, my dear LEE. Well, I have my suspicions... Yep, it has to be that those innocent-looking bandicoots have learned computer hacking. No, it most definitely has nothing to do with me getting used to senility. Of course, if you haul me into court, I'll swear that I was just trying to make Adullamite feel better about himself. Blasted bandicoots!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yep! Those little coots can't be trusted, those bandis!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Whoa, the dots are starting to line up... So, when I think of Adullamite as being a cantankerous old coot... Thank you so very much, my dear LEE!

    ReplyDelete
  22. But, I'm not sure if he's bandy, Jerry! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Do you suppose that the Alexandra Wentworth Reef there on the map was named after our Alexandra Wentworth now married to George Stephenopolis?
    Must be a story there.

    ReplyDelete