james test

A few days after Christmas I visited a family friend and returned home with zucchinis and eggs. Maybe the zucchinis don't look all that intimidating at first glance, but compare them to the biro posed at the top of the picture - these are big zucchinis. Over the following week I managed to knock 'em down with one dish per zucchini. For my first trick, I tried stuffing one. I think the mild, watery flavour of zucchini works well with firm salty cheese like haloumi or fetta so I decided that fetta would be the feature ingredient. Add some garlic, capsicum and parsley and it's actually a rather flavoursome and very summery dish. On the side I had a shot at sweet potato chips. They didn't work spectacularly, but I didn't have high hopes - it's difficult to get them crispy! I just sliced the potato thinly and baked it in a bit of oil. The chips may have fared better if I'd been able to spread them out so they weren't overlapping - the few leftover on...

Update 31/12/2014: Coco Loco has changed its name to  Papasito  and its emphasis to Mexican food. It's still run by the same owner and still has a decent range of vegan options. After a wander along High St on a hot day, I finally managed to steer Michael into Coco Loco for a proper look. I've been keen to visit this chocolate shop for some time - it's vegan-friendly, organic and uses only Fair Trade cocoa and coffee. The menu is long and impressive: there are hot and iced chocolates, mochas and cocktails as well as a display cabinet of house-made truffles. Chocolate promenades with various fruit, nut and spice combinations; drink orders are made with your preference in temperature (hot or iced), milk (dairy, soy or Kashew Mylk) and chocolate concentration (light, medium, deep). We both needed a deep chocolate fix on ice, and gave the family Kashew Mylk recipe a go. They were frothy, icy cold and not too rich - just what was needed in the prevailing weather. However th...

After a busy few days hanging out with Cindy's family, we had the 27th free to amuse ourselves. Our original plan was to spend the day wandering from St Kilda to Brighton, but the sunburn from our day at the MCG meant that the idea of a long walk in the sun seemed like a bad idea. So we opted for a short walk in the sun and a stroll around Fitzroy. Starting with breakfast. We tracked down this review of Wild Flour bakery on The Breakfast Blog and decided it was worth a visit (particularly since The Commoner doesn't open until 10a.m. and we were hungry at 8). When we got to 422 George Street we were a little confused by what we saw: it was clearly the same basic place as Jamie had visited, with a couple of big communal tables and some tiny outdoor seats, but it didn't seem to be the Wild Flour bakery anymore. Certainly there was a big sign saying 'Wild Flour bread available here', but the name on the door appeared to be Min Lokal (which is Swedish for My Local...

Like Christmas day itself, Boxing Day has its traditions. Mountains of sandwiches made from leftover ham or turkey, or perhaps an ultra-competitive excursion to the nearest department store for the end of year sales. Or just planting yourself squarely in front of the Boxing Day test with a cold drink and an optional afternoon snooze. For this Christmas in Melbourne we made the latter a live experience accompanied by my brother Liam, my Mum, and two of Mum's sisters. My main knowledge of sports ground catering revolved around lukewarm meat pies, so a small insulated bag of veg-friendly food seemed a necessary, if cumbersome, accessory. Number 1 essential ingredient? A 2 litre bottle of water, half of it frozen overnight and then topped up in the morning. Sitting all day is thirsty work. No leftovers here, thankyou very much. Instead we had fresh super sandwiches for all. I was astounded to discover that the MCG now houses a falafel stand, so a lazy vego can still be guarant...

Christmas traditions have generally faded as my grandparents have passed on and the grandkids have grown up, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything we're better able to appreciate the food and company that does come together without any preconceptions. Three years ago, Michael and I turned up in Melbourne late on discounted flights, then spent the afternoon eating chips and avocado while watching DVDs with my brother, Mum and Mum's sister Carol. I don't think there were even any gifts or a decorated tree but the sense of togetherness was much more real than the photo stories Coles Myer would have us buy into all November. This year we shared Christmas lunch with some of my Mum's family on the north side of Melbourne. It was a very Aussie barbie with bread and salads - for the hot plate, Michael and I brought along a lunchbox full of caramelised onions, and four enormous mushrooms brushed with balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic. These reindeer cupc...

At this time of year, it's not only food bloggers that are preoccupied with food and its preparation. People who haven't preheated an oven for 12 months suddenly start preparing gingerbread, while the keener cooks go into overdrive . I tried not to go too crazy but with some family meals scheduled, it was important to me that I contribute something to the table. Firstly, because making and giving food is my primary method of showing people I care; secondly, because I didn't want feeding two vegetarians to make anyone else's Christmas more difficult. We didn't need to worry about that on Sunday night, Christmas Eve Eve. We visited Emma and Simon's home and were spoiled with five incredible Indian-inspired vegetarian dishes. The entree was battered deep-fried balls of spiced potato stuffed with fetta and served with yoghurt dressing and chutney - one of the most memorable dishes of the summer. We were sent home with boxes of leftover curry, as well as a Chri...

Like Johanna , I recently bought a bottle of pomegranate molasses for the first time. Pomegranate molasses has orbitted my culinary consciousness for quite some time, but for the most part I was content not to own this specialty ingredient. I wasn't convinced that I'd use it much or particularly like the taste. Then I saw Clotilde 's recipe for muhammara , a Middle Eastern spread. This mixture of roasted red capsicum and walnuts looked like the star of a few excellent bread-and-dip plates I've ordered out. She suggested that balsamic vinegar, which I already had, would make a suitable substitute but all of a sudden pomegranate molasses had taken on an aura of irreplacability, as if it must be the secret ingredient on those dip platters. And far from disappointing me, my experimental taste from the bottle confirmed that this was my kind of syrup. Sweet and languidly viscous, but with a very fruity tang. Balsamic vinegar would do, sure, but the molasses fills out t...

'Tis the season for berries and icecream, and I found just the recipe to celebrate on A Cracking Good Egg . It's raspberry ripple at its best. The vanilla custard is thick, sweet and contains whole eggs so it doesn't leave any whites in my fridge to stare at me for a week afterwards. (I don't have the courage to utilise my aging egg whites for this ...) The raspberry syrup is luridly hued and as tart as the real fruit that goes into it, the perfect counterpoint to the rich vanilla. I shared it with Michael, Mike and Jo-Lyn after our meal at Blue Corn , receiving repeated oohs and aahs. I'll be making this again, if not to win more friends and influence people, then certainly to perfect my swirling technique! Raspberry Ripple Icecream 250mL milk 3 eggs 160g castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 500mL single cream 125mL water juice of half a lemon 250g raspberries In a saucepan over low to medium heat, bring the milk not quite to the boil and then set aside. ...

Cindy and I had good intentions for dinner on Sunday night following our gluttonous Saturday , but they were thrown out the window by a spur of the moment invitation to join Mike and Jo at Blue Corn in St Kilda. Jo had told us previously of her fondness for Blue Corn, and the menu seemed to cater fairly well for vegos, so we were keen to give it a try. We wandered in at about 7:00 and had no problems getting a table - there was even a spare place for us in their lovely courtyard, which was the perfect place to dine on one of Melbourne's pleasant summer evenings. Things started out with a shared platter: Bluecorn's dips & cornbread with spicy chickpea, mushroom & blackbean dip, pipian rojo, guacamole, tomato salsa, mixed chile olives & fresh corn chips. It was as impressive as it sounds - dense cornbread and an unbelievably flavoursome array of things to spread on it. The blackbean and mushroom dip was a particular standout, but everything on the platter was won...

On leaving Interlude, we received a small gift to take home and enjoy later - apparently #7 in their instant pudding series. We had Interlude's interpretation of Xmas mince pie for two prepared in a matter of minutes, using only a saucepan and some water. The 'mince' is a slightly gelatinous concoction, dotted with raisins and wafting with traditional Christmas spices. On top are soft buttery pastry crumbs. How nice to linger over our special meal a little longer!

Michael mentioned in his previous post that I got my ears pierced on Saturday, and that can only mean one thing... It's my birthday! And I'm 10 years old! Well, it's half true. What my birthday really means is that it's time to pull out the credit card and eat something fancy. This year I chose Interlude at the venue. What initially attracted me to Interlude was their 5-course dessert degustation menu - I like a restaurant that values the sweeter side as much as I do. Then, while browsing their website , I noticed that Interlude offers a vegetarian version of their 7 and 11 course menus (though presumably not the full 16-course tour). It would be unfair of me not to try some savouries as well, right? It was with this sense of duty *cough* that we ordered the intermediate vegetarian tour. Michael also ordered matching wines for himself - even though it was my night, I really can't enjoy the food to its fullest with that volume of alcohol. Regardless, the so...

Update, 31/12/2014: Ice Cafe and Bar has closed. Cindy had scheduled a mid-morning ear-piercing in Prahran and, to fill the time beforehand, we decided to find ourselves some breakfast somewhere around Chapel Street. The Cheap Eats guide was full of places that sounded interesting, and in the end we just chose the one closest to the piercing shop: Ice Cafe Bar. We arrived at 10ish to find the spillover from Chapel Street's night club scene winding down with champagne and eggs. Luckily, there was room for those of us who felt that sleep was a good precursor to breakfast and we slotted in to one of the windowside tables. The whole place felt a little like an after-party: quiet but insistent beats on the sound system, ridiculously friendly waitstaff who looked ready to throw their hands in the air at the slightest provocation and lots of people more fashionable than us. The only thing out of place were the few family groups with little kids. Still, the kids were pretty snappily d...

The Queen Victoria Night Markets are back! At this time it's packed with people Christmas shopping or, like us, just after something to eat. The stalls are looking rather similar to last summer - the okonomiyaki (from Akari ) are still hot, saucy and full of cabbage but have risen to $5. We couldn't resist revisiting Gringo Vibes , ordering a soft bean taco each ($3.50 apiece). Jalapenos and hot sauce are added to your preference. Surprisingly it was Michael who pushed for dessert, ordering fruit of the forest crepes ($7). It was a very large serving, with good vanilla ice-cream and a slurp of maple syrup on the side. Although the chorizo stand's smoke will contaminate anything you eat, there's still plenty for vegos to choose from. The panzarotti are back, there are Indian curries and Ethiopean stews, Thai and savoury crepes. For dessert I spied Queen Vic institutions the jam doughnut van and churros stall. Aim for the floral pink stand to view lots of prissy p...

Cindy and I returned from our big weekend in the Grampians lacking the energy to cook for ourselves. Luckily, the Vegie Bar provides the kind of varied and affordable menu that can fulfill almost any lazy desire. Not only that, they provide a welcome respite from a weekend of excessive port-drinking with a wide array of delicious freshly-made juices. Refreshing! Cindy was immediately taken in by the promise of the 4 mushroom pie with chips and salad ($10.50) on the specials list. It wasn't overly sauced - the mushrooms really did all the flavour-work, still not quite living up to Cindy's own TVP and mushroom spectacular . I was just after a simple stir-fry, and the Vegie Bar have a range of options. I went for the satay sauce variety and I've never seen a bigger satay stir-fry. It was humungous - filled with tofu, vegies, sauce and rice. It fitted my mood perfectly - maybe a little extra spice would have been worthwhile, but it's hard to complain when you'r...

And so we walked and watched. From up high... ... from down low... and up close. Also worth a visit is the Brambuk cultural centre . First up, there's the usual National Park information about walks, precautions and camping, and bookings for organised outdoor activities. A little further back is the painstakingly and beautifully designed Aboriginal cultural centre, sitting low to the ground like one of the local cockatoos. I thoroughly enjoyed the half an hour I spent in the late afternoon, slowly winding my way up the serpent-like ramp, reading and thinking about the past, present and future. Unsurprisingly there's a gift shop, as well as a cafe. But what's notable is that the cafe offers something more than the soft drinks, ice-creams and soggy sausage rolls I anticipated. This is the Bushfoods cafe , where the menu features gourmet preparations of kangaroo, crocodile and emu. The vegetarian options are a little more tame, but you can still find native herbs in th...