james test

On Wednesday night, Michael whipped up a long-time household favourite, spiced chickpeas and stir-fried sweetcorn . On Thursday night I stretched them it to another meal, using the chickpeas as a filling for pastry parcels and serving the sweetcorn on the side, along with some wilted baby spinach leaves. This leftover makeover is prepared almost as often as the original dish!

For a couple of years, I let Michael pick his birthday cake from the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book (a timeless classic for all ages and almost thirty years old!). Then the train cake almost undid me with stress and I restricted Michael to less imaginatively shaped and more grown-up birthday desserts. This year's selection was the passionfruit cheesecake from Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess . After canned passionfruit pulp let my yo-yos down, I made sure there was time for a trip to the Queen Vic Markets on Sunday morning for the fresh stuff. It was well worth it, though if I made this again I'd probably double the lime juice for even more tang. Otherwise it's just what you'd want and expect from a baked cheesecake: a buttery biscuit base and dense, smooth and rich cake. A little goes a long way, and a lot would make a filling but very naughty dinner (oops, did I say that out loud or just think it?). This cake needs a bit o...

Michael's birthday was actually on Monday and he requested a fairly heavy dessert for the occasion. The dinner decision was left up to me and so I put my mind to finding a meal that would be warming and a bit special yet still leave room for cake. Mindful of Michael's long love of all things curry, I soon realised that laksa could be everything I was looking for. This recipe comes from Kurma Dasa's Vegetarian World Food, a favourite source of inspiration in this house for several years before I became addicted to blogs and bookmarking . There's a lot of chopping, grating and grinding involved but the reward is a huge pot of food (even with the halved quantity I made!), kaleidoscopic with flavours and textures, spices, veges and noodles. On the side were unnecessary but indulgent taro paratha - I've been a fan of the flaky, pastry-like paratha since I first encountered it, but the subtle sweetness of a taro one is new to me and just perfect for a coconut milk c...

The main reason for our trip to the Queen Vic Markets on Sunday morning was to hunt down Jerusalem artichokes which, it turns out, are neither from Jerusalem or from the artichoke family . Regardless, I'd read that they made a tremendous base for a soup, and some quick googling turned up this recipe at Cook Sister! We managed to locate some of the 'artichokes' at in the organic section of the markets (I've since noticed that they're everywhere at the moment) and rounded up the rest of the required ingredients. The recipe is pretty simple, although peeling half a kilo of Jerusalem artichokes is a bit painful. Still, once the potato and artichokes are peeled and roughly chopped, it's plain sailing. A bit of frying, some boiling in stock and a quick run through a food processor and you're ready to go. The end result was a fine soup. The 'artichokes' added a subtle but distinct flavour. It's hard to describe - I wouldn't really compare it...

Late on Sunday morning, Michael and I walked down to the Queen Vic Markets for some fruit and veg. By the time we'd done a circuit of the delis and a double run of the organic aisle, my appetite was rising and I was keen on lunch. Quick-thinking Michael suggested Invita, a vegetarian cafe I've looked longingly at on at least two previous visits (with a stomach already full of donuts, probably). Their display case is full of soups, salads, pies and patties, all of them looking colourful, fresh and, dare I say it, good for you! (There are also a few sweet treats if it's time for a cuppa.) The menu is mindful of people's various eating quirks and allergies, with a full list of the ingredients in each dish and clear markings of what's vegan and/or gluten free. Above is my corn cake ($10.80, containing onion, capsicum, red kidney beans, corn, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, sweet paprika, rice crumbs, olive oil, avocado, sour cream, sundried tomato and tapioca sta...

This week brings Michael's birthday and with it, an excuse to splurge on a special meal. After seeing Andrew McConnell judging a charity cook-off last month, we checked out the menu of his Carlton restaurant Three, One, Two and discovered that a vegetarian degustation menu is on offer on Saturday nights. We were both pretty keen for a multi-course meat-free gourmet extravaganza, and my credit card gave its blessing. Unfortunately at 3-4 weeks notice they were all booked out but I optimistically put my name down on a waiting list. I was thrilled to get a call from the restaurant on Thursday: there had been a cancellation and they could fit us in, though we would be dining at the (apparently inferior) chef's table. (For a fleeting moment, I had a bizarre vision of the captain's table on a cruise ship, and wondered what could possibly go on at the chef's table - gritty gossip with McConnell, perhaps sledging Stephen Downes or other celebrity foodies...?) On our arr...

25/10/2015: It appears that Black Ruby no longer trades here and has been replaced by Masons . Between a couple of outings on Thursday evening and a large dollop of forgetfulness, Cindy and I woke up on Friday with nothing in the house for brekkie. I'm a firm believer in the whole 'most important meal of the day' spiel and we decided that we could afford to be a little late for work in order to make sure we had the sustenance we needed to get through the day. We've been working through a few of the breakfast places around here , but have failed to really dive into the Rathdowne Village strip (with one slightly disappointing exception ). Cindy had heard good things about Black Ruby and it was suitably close by so as not to delay our arrivals at our respective workplaces by too much. I resisted the giant sounding vegetarian big breakfast and settled for a couple of fried eggs on toast with a side of mushrooms. It came with a dollop of relish to liven things up and ...

These biscuits have been waiting to be baked in my kitchen for a couple of months. First, ilingc posted a slightly different recipe for yo-yos , and I was reminded of the fruit-free and tooth-achingly sweet ones that my Mum baked when I was a kid. (I think Mum's recipe came from the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union Cookery Book , and I'm pretty sure that she still makes the occasional batch for my brother.) Then the March edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller got a few more bloggers enthusiastically baking passionfruit yo-yos with white chocolate and passionfruit ganache. This was even more appealing to me, maintaining the buttery shortbread I love while replacing the too-sugary icing with one of my most favourite foods (and words) in the world: ganache. The inclusion of some sour passionfruit juice would surely be the icing on the... erm... biscuit, no? The best excuse for baking came in the form of an invitation to dinner from my colleague and just-down-the...

With room left in our stomachs and schedule, Michael and I made our first visit to the Max Brenner chocolate shop in the QV building. This week winter has hit hard for us sensitive Queenslanders and we were keen to snag a seat inside and comfort ourselves with hot chocolate. Much as I love chocolate, I've been in no rush to visit Max Brenner: other chocolate lovers I'm acquainted with, both in the blogosphere and in person, have been fairly indifferent to Max Brenner's brand. And it really is a brand. The alcove of gifts is horrendously overpriced and the website is highly pretentious, in my humble opinion. Nevertheless, the eat-in options are in a comparable price range to Koko Black and other similar chocolatiers around Melbourne. The desserts (in the $7 - 13 range) looked very solidly chocolatey and more than I could handle straight after dinner. Above is Michael's hot chocolate with orange zest in the Max Brenner patented "hug mug". The mug is a n...

With another weeknight gig on the menu, Michael and I returned to Breizoz to sample the savoury crepes (or galettes, as the locals call them). The menu recommends enjoying a galette with cider, and a specially imported one at that ($15.50 per 750mL bottle). Who were we to argue? The traditional brew was a delicate balance of sweet and tart. We agreed to share two galettes: cheese and leek (from the specials board, ~$12) and mushroom ($8). Another successful balancing act here: the crepes are equal parts crisp and tender, the fillings somewhat salty and fatty but not too much so. We finish feeling filled, but only just - a larger appetite would necessitate two galettes, or at least a diversion to the sweet crepe menu. (You can read about our previous visit to Breizoz here .)

Update, January 24 2013: Bangla Curry Cafe has closed. Monday brought with it our first real taste of winter for the year and prompted me to venture a little further than usual in search of a suitably warming workday lunch. Bangla Curry Cafe does a daily lunch special: curry, naan, rice and pappadum for $10.95, and it seemed the easiest option. Unfortunately, the special is limited to only a handful of curries - just dal or mixed vegie curry for vegetarians. I opted for the mixed vegie curry - the usual array of potato, peas, cauliflower and mushrooms in a spicey and slightly sweet curry sauce. The bread and rice were fairly standard fare - it was all hearty and warming, but a little on the mediocre side when Fitzroy has so much else to offer (e.g. another leftover-less day today found me returning to Newtown S.C. , where the tomato, vegetable and lentil soup was divine). The thing that sets Bangla apart from the multitude of other Indian places around is the array of sweets on off...

Three reasons why this meal was destined to appear on our table this week: 1. Vicious Ange's steak sandwiches with a very attractive garlic crème ; 2. Lindyloo's mouthwatering mushroom sammich pics ; 3. Paul and Freya's Burger Ballyhoo blog event ! One reason why you need to try them RIGHT NOW: They're freakin' awesome. Washed down with an imported ale, this is posh pub grub in your own home with an unlimited supply of paper napkins to wipe that saucy grin off your face. Here's the rundown on creating your own not-steak sandwich... The 'steak' Get yourself one or two massive portabello mushrooms per person. Brush both sides with a bit of balsamic vinegar, then oven bake or barbeque until tender, brushing occasionally with more balsamic. It'll take less than 15 minutes. The sauce Ange's garlic crème recipe over here . You only need a half quantity for 2-4 burgers. The fresh garlic gives it lots of bite: roast your own for a sweeter, wussie...

Here's my new invention on a stay-inside Saturday afternoon - dessert pesto. This is not much more than a blended version of the chocolate clusters I recently made, with a bit of cream cheese to bind it together in a spreadable consistency. It's not quite as chocolatey as it looks: the blended dried cherries also added a rich dark taste, texture and colour. I spread it on plain dry (but slightly sweet) biscuits and was in afternoon tea heaven. It was really just an experimental attempt at using up my last small portions of pistachios and dried cherries, but I can see myself pushing this idea further with other fruit and nut combinations: dried apricot and almond, maybe, or dried apple and cashew with white chocolate...? Dessert pesto Throw about 2 dessertspoon-fulls of dried cherries in a blender and pulse until mushy. Add an equal volume of pistachios and pulse briefly to break them up a bit. Next add about 20g of dark cooking chocolate and pulse again. Finally, add...

After months of vague intentions, Cindy and I finally made the trip to Footscray on Saturday to explore Melourne's mulitcultural heartland. It was an odd kind of day - quite sunny and warm when we left Carlton, but cloudy and windy by the time the bus pulled up in Footscray. The change in the weather really enhanced the feeling that we'd travelled a lot further than five kilometres. After a quick wander through the Little Saigon market, which is filled with unidentifiable fruits and vegetables, Vietnamese hawkers and lots and lots of people, we decided to take a break from the crowds and find some lunch. There are a handful of impressive looking Ethiopian restaurants dotted around the suburb, but Cindy was determined to enjoy some Vietnamese food. Unfortunately, Vietnamese restaurants tend not to be the most vegetarian friendly places in town - the description of the beef pho in the window at Hung Vuong included the words: blood, tendon, offal and pizzle - meaning that we...

My new favourite food blog is Yeah, That "Vegan" Shit , written by the sass-tastic Lindyloo. When I should be concentrating only on my work, I have been sneaking peaks at her archives, checking out the awsome vegan food she and her feller create each weekend, and enjoying her casual and entertaining prose. It was only a matter of time (less than a week, actually) before I'd be trying out one of her recipes, and in this autumn weather it was the hearty mushroom paprikash that I gravitated towards. I've rarely eaten and never prepared savoury dumplings before, so I was keen to have a go at them (as if mushrooms in paprika-spiked gravy wasn't enticing enough!). Unfortunately my dumplings were an absolute disaster! That unmarked jar of flour in the cupboard was always going to be a risk: I could see that it was probably wholemeal, and in hindsight I suspect that it was also self-raising. My innocent-looking dough balls fizzed to almost nothing in the boiling wa...

This is a hodge-podge of a Mexican-inspired meal that evolved from a number of ingredients that Michael and I have picked up over the last few months. Remember the crazy-rich dulce de leche I bought from Casa Iberica a while ago? On the same visit I found a little tetra-pack of tomatillo broth, while Michael got keen on dried black beans. Michael transformed those little black pellets into the refried bean mush above, and I set to work on a taco thing. The broth was more like a thick sauce, so it became the main binding for our taco filling. Substance and spice came from some TVP mince, finely chopped onion and the Spanish Creole Adobo spice mix we bought at the Food & Wine Festival (containing "spices including cumin, smoked and sweet paprikas, chilli, garlic"). This would have been a pretty tasty taco if we'd stopped there, but the wow! ingredient for me was the Old Time Bakery organic corn tortillas we got from Macro Wholefoods in Richmond. These have a...

Friday night's dinner was taken from one of my favourite food blogs, 28 Cooks . Fiber posted this recipe for Citrus Peanut Noodles on Tuesday - within hours I'd bookmarked it; a day later I had the ingredients; three days from posting it was on our table! We doubled the sauce recipe so that we had plenty of flavour to coat some sugar snap peas, julienned zucchini and carrot as well as the noodles. We actually ate it warm on Friday night, but it proved to be just as tasty cold for a picnic lunch on Saturday. There's still more to be enjoyed as a work lunch on Monday! The sauce is very much like a light satay so you know it'll get your tastebuds jumping. Even better, the orange zest adds something entirely new: aromatic, sweet and a little bit tangy. Citrus Peanut Noodles 250g noodles 1 carrot 1 zucchini 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 teaspoons sesame oil 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 teaspoons chilli sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice zest and juice of ...

Update, 31/12/2014: The Builders Arms has been taken over by the McConnells (of Cutler and Co , Cumulus Inc and others) and has gone pretty upmarket. This post is not representative of the pub anymore. It's been a while since a Gertrude Street Grub post. The last few times I've bought lunch I've either forgotten to bring the camera with me or been too keen to revisit TrippyTaco to chase up somewhere new to blog. Things fell into place on Friday though - the leftover supply dried up on the only day of the week that The Builders Arms is open for lunch. From the outside, The Builders Arms is a pretty average looking pub - a few tables on the street and a fairly grimy looking public bar - but if you wander through the door at the back of the public bar, you find yourself in a bizarrely garish pink restaurant. It was too much for me, so I ordered quickly and scurried back to one of the outside tables where the illusion of an old-fashioned pub could be maintained. Th...

I don't eat enough fruit. A fresh, seasonal piece of fruit is a wonderful thing but I haven't fully developed my ability to select and promptly eat it. It's not that I haven't tried - probably once a month, I'll pick out a cheap bag of whatever's at its peak or just one or two pieces of something exotic I've never tried before. Either way, at least two pieces of fruit will loiter for a week or more before I guiltily dispose of them (most guiltily if I only bought two pieces of fruit in the first place). Last winter I took up fruit crumbles in a more creative bid to eat my fruit. You may snort that fruit crumble defeats my nutritional purpose, but this is a dual attack of getting more fruit and less after-dinner chocolate into me. Moreover, I've developed some junk-limiting rules for my homemade crumbles: 1. There will be much more fruit than crumble; 2. The layer of fruit may have a touch of lemon juice or spice added, but no additional sugar; 3...

Our weekend was pretty unhealthy: there was leftover lasagne , a repeat visit to Ume Nomiya and, worst of all for our waistlines: impossibly cheesey (but delicious) Indian . To make amends, I was keen for something reasonably healthy on Sunday evening. Calling once again on Cindy's list of other blogs' recipes (I think we've almost stopped using our recipe books altogether), I settled on celeriac and worcestershire soup from stonesoup . Most of the soup recipes Cindy's tagged involve cream and, while there's a bit of milk in this one, I figured it would at least start to repair the damage done over the weekend. I'd never cooked with celeriac before, but it was all pretty straightforward (I followed the recipe to the letter, so follow the link for details). Everything just gets cooked up in a pot, spun through the food processor and served up, with the sauce left until the end to provide some colour to a pretty plain-looking mush. The food processor stru...

Regular readers (both of you!) might have spotted a recent comment from Dmargster, having a friendly dig at our attachment to the inner north and naming their favourite local (Ripponlea) Indian restaurant in the process. With swift service that would hands-down beat our local, we paid a visit to Ripponlea a mere four days later! On our free and easy Saturday night, we mapped out an excursion to the south side for dinner at Bala Da Dhaba, followed by a movie at the Classic Theatre . I'm the kind of girl who would prefer that 'my local' is my lazy-glutton-night Indian or Thai restaurant around the corner rather than any watering hole. Thus, I was quite chuffed that Dmargster shared this kind of affection for Bala Da Dhaba and it had just the unpretentious atmosphere I'd want from my local. Picture a dated brick building with disposable paper tablecloths over the real ones, vinyl padded chairs and scattered Indian paraphernalia on the walls. The most striking feature...

I've tried a few different recipes for lasagne, and have struggled to find one that we enjoy through the inevitable five days of leftovers. While we were up in Queensland recently, Anne (the wife of Cindy's Dad) served up a delicious effort and Cindy was switched on enough to ask her where she'd found the recipe. Turns out the Internet was the inspiration, as it so often is. Armed with a link to the recipe , an unenthusiastic Cindy and a backpack full of vegies, I decided to give it a shot for Wednesday night's meal. It's an exhausting process: peeling, chopping and roasting a kilo of vegies, cooking up the tomato sauce, making the cheese sauce, assembling and the cooking. You need to have a couple of spare hours before hunger will kick in, otherwise you'll end up reaching for the snacks while the tray is still in the oven. Luckily, the results were worth it: the roasted vegies were tender, the pesto-based sauce tasty and the cheese sauce gooily unhealthy. ...

On a weekend trip to Piedemontes , I noticed and picked up a box of Lamyong vegetarian chunky fish: a soy-based product with a seaweed 'skin'. My mind spun instantly to our recent meal at the White Lotus , and Michael needed little convincing that we could attempt this dish at home. So it was on to the internet, with a swift selection of this recipe . A quick scan of the ingredients indicates what an intense sauce this is: salty (soy sauce), sweet (brown sugar), hot (red chilli) and sour (the eponymous tamarind) hit your taste buds in roughly that order. (And then the garlic lingers...) Only a sparing dollop is needed if you're to have any hope of tasting the fish underneath! Some simple steamed rice and veges are the most advisable side. The faux fish was akin to the slightly rubbery (but otherwise delicious) faux chicken I'm accustomed to and didn't quite live up to the fragile texture of the layered bean curd at the White Lotus. However the potent sauce ...