james test

June 23, 2016 Cindy and I had a short overlapping window between my return from Sweden and her trip to the US and we were keen to squeeze in a quick visit to Very Good Falafel, a much-hyped new place in Brunswick. The duo who run it - Shuki and Louisa - have made their name serving up falafel pita pockets at markets all 'round Melbourne, and this is their shot at a permanent base. The menu is pretty simple: falafel, sabih (and eggplant and egg dish) or ktzizot (a lamb dish) served either in a pita or as a plate. You can also get a plate of their rotating selection of salads, with or without falafel balls, or hummus/babaganoush-based plates.  I couldn't resist the salad plate - green beans and Brussels sprouts in tomato and capsicum sauce, roasted pumpkin with kale and freekeh, cabbage, kohlrabi and sultanas - plus three falafel balls and tahini ($13).  This place really does live up to its name - these falafel balls are very good indeed: crispy on the outside, tender and spic...

June 19, 2016 This idea popped up while I was hosting that Family Favourites picnic potluck in the summer. I was probably telling someone about how my family called jaffles Hot Ones (thanks to toddler-me) and got to thinking about how fun a jaffle potluck could be. A few irons in a row, a pile of bread, and everyone brings a filling. Hot Ones all round! I waited until the cold weather rolled in, when toasty carbs bring the most comfort. My dozen-plus guests definitely brought the goods - extra jaffle irons, numerous vegan cheeses, home baked beans, mock meats, canned spaghetti, the last of a garden's basil... even sweet stuff like caramel bananas and chocolate chips. For dessert, I had another family favourite to share - this one's something my mum would occasionally make for dinner guests. It starts not with bread, but with puff pastry . Yep, you just thaw out a sheet of puff pastry and cut it into two rectangles. Fill the rectangles will sliced banana, chocolate chips and m...

June 18, 2016 The Dojo Ramen Bar comes recommended by High St vego-in-the-know Erin; their veggie ramen is her favourite comfort food at the end of a bad day. Last Saturday night we confirmed that it's also a suitable spot for good times, when everyone's looking forward to a gig at the Northcote Social Club. We filled out the bar's communal table with a reservation for twelve and maintained the cheerful, chattering noise levels already established by the other patrons. The staff were friendly and flexible in the face of our large group and staggered orders. Sake cocktails and Japanese spirits are displayed most prominently on the drinks menu, but Erin actually prefers the Calpico grape soda and I went for a Ramune (Japanese lemonade, $4.50). It doesn't taste so different from a Sprite, but the pop-the-marble top is novel and very Japanese. As far as food goes vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are marked well, although they weren't all what we expected - than...

May 29-June 17, 2016 My last two weeks in Stockholm were light on the blog-worthy eating - I enjoyed return visits to Maxos and Greasy Spoon , but didn't hit up too many new places. I managed to take a quick lunchtime jaunt down to Hornstull to visit Seyhmus , a veggie buffet place recommended to me by Jess . It's really only open for lunchtime (or a very early dinner), but it's definitely worth the trip. 110kr ($18) buys you access to a very impressive array of hot dishes and salads. The  hot dishes included a fantastic spinach curry, a couple of different beany stews, some falafel balls and a delicious spinach and cheese pastry, while the selection of salads, dips and breads was just out of control (the chilli marinated mushrooms were probably my highlight). Herman's has a better view, but this place wins the battle of the buffets hands down. My other blog-worthy meals were at Reggev Hummus , a teeny little restaurant right by my apartment that serves exclusively hu...

June 13, 2016 In the spirit of celebrating old favourites this winter, here's a recipe that we've been making for five years. It's the Zesty Orange Mojo Baked Tofu from Viva Vegan! . (Yeah, we did write about it back in 2010 but omitted instructions.) This is a nifty foundation for a weeknight meal. First the tofu slices get baked in a little oil and tamari for seasoning. Then they're baked a second time in lots of orange juice, a bit of lime and some garlic until most of the liquid is evaporated. The bright flavours cling to the tofu, and the slices condense down to chewy bars. We've often served them as a meat substitute alongside grains and vegetables . This week I held back just a bit on the second bake, keeping the tofu more tender. I've been folding it into tortillas and layering it up with avocado, a simple cabbage salad , and a herb-oil I made from parsley, coriander and dill. The vibrancy of this meal felt almost summery, even as I relied on early wint...

June 5, 2016 I've been taking it gently as a I settle back into wintery Melbourne. I've been choosing old favourite recipes and restaurants that remind me what I love about home - baking granola , cooking lentil tacos and eating the leftovers in toasties, slurping up legume noodle soup . There's been porridge specials at Wide Open Road, dinner after work at Good Days , and Friday nights in local pubs . Visiting the Queen Victoria Markets is another Melbourne staple. I picked up some soup ingredients there on a cold, wet Sunday and resolutely took myself across to Twenty & Six Espresso for a treat afterwards. They do M ö rk hot chocolates including a vegan one they call the Bounty ($6). It's based on coconut cream and their house-made almond milk. Its richness comes more from the distinctive silkiness of that coconut cream and less from the light cocoa content; it's just a little frothy on top. I rationed it out slowly, with a sweet little (non-vegan) pumpki...

May 15-28, 2016 Between our joint trip to Helsinki and Cindy's sneaky side-trip to Denmark, the last couple of weeks of May didn't turn out to be massively exciting food-wise in Stockholm (at least until the 28th!). Cindy made sure she got to sample Sweden's own mock-meat invention, Oumph! (pictured below). It's a soy-based product with a pretty impressive range - we had the thyme and garlic version, stir-fried to serve alongside a quinoa salad. It's a decent attempt - a chicken-y texture and some nice flavours make this a rare mock-meat you can eat without added sauce. Good job Sweden. ____________ We tried to drop in to Herman's to show Cindy the view one Friday night, but the line was too long and we gave up. With Cindy's time in Stockholm fast running out, we wound up heading back on one of the few non-sunny evenings we've had here lately, which slightly dampens the experience. The buffet (120kr/$20.05 per person) remains a solid dinner optio...