james test

October 19, 2016 I was pretty shocked when I read Faye's post about the vegan options at St Kilda's version of The Snug Public House - the Brunswick branch has always seemed quietly charming but very, very meaty. Luckily for us though, the St Kilda vegan menu seems to have gone well, prompting the owners to start rolling out vegan options out near us. We dropped by with a couple of friends on one of their first vegan-friendly nights to check things out. It's a small pub, with just a handful of tables inside and a few more in their cute little courtyard.   They were still sorting out the menu when we visited - there were just four dishes on offer and things were still changing from night to night. They're promising that a bigger menu is on its way, including vegan options for weekend brunch. Exciting times! The kitchen got us started with Guinness bread and Nuttelex while we workshopped our options. In the end, with four dishes to choose from and four people eating, it ...

October 8, 2016 Recently two of our friends got married, and they held a vegan potluck reception. We are enthusiastic potluckers under any conditions, and a wedding celebration predictably set us into overdrive . We brought a double batch of sausage rolls with barbecue sauce , mango & coconut rice salad , mango & coconut splice jellies , and finally, this cake. I'd seen it earlier in the week on Around the World Vegan - I liked that it was already vegan and gluten-free, and I had a stash of rose petals in the pantry that I was keen to make use of. Best of all, a dessert named Persian Love Cake would be perfect for the occasion. The cake, even though it has two layers, comes together in one bowl without need of an electric mixer. Based on almond meal and polenta, it has a sandy texture but none of the chalkiness that I often notice with commercial gluten-free flour mixes. I'd consider trading some of the polenta for more almond meal if I baked this again, aiming for a ...

October 4, 2016 Almost every time Cindy and I eat in the CBD we wind up heading to Shandong Mama or Shanghai Street , so we were delighted when Hayley suggested a pre-movie meal at Grand Trailer Park Taverna. Melbourne's obsession with dude-food is getting a bit tiresome, but even the most committed dumpling-heads need a change sometimes. Grand Trailer Park Taverna exploded onto Melbourne's burger scene a few years back, with queues out the door and inordinate amounts of buzz (see the blog round-up below). Things appear to have mellowed slightly, and we had no trouble getting a table early on a Tuesday night. It's a beautiful setup, with tables nestled inside wooden caravan cut-outs and little cabins, chandeliers on the ceiling and a bright, cheerful vibe. The menu is a glorious paean to junk food, featuring ridiculous boozy milkshakes, a selection of burgers, loads of fried sides and mad dessert dishes like an ice-cream donut sandwich or the menacingly titled 'chocop...

October 3, 2016 Early October heralds the longest-standing tradition of my workplace - a culinary competition coinciding with the birthday of a beloved colleague. We had more entries and eaters this year than we've seen for a while! I've collated as many dishes as I can in the slideshow above. In the inclusive spirit of the event, it's the one time I allow photos of meat on the blog.  That said, this might have been the most veg-friendly year yet. Lovely dips, fritters and finger foods... the black bean chipotle burgers were a highlight for me. There were not as many salads as usual, though I did my bit by submitting Ottolenghi's cauliflower, grape & cheddar salad . Sweets were variously fruity, fancy and far from traditional (check out the dumplings!). My own deviation from the norm was a ketchup cake , and it earned me a prize in the 'tastes better than it sounds' category. The grand prize winner was a new entrant, who made some lovely olive bread sticks....

September 25, 2016 On our return from Western Australia we wanted something quick and healthy to ease ourselves back into the non-holiday routine - this tofu in lemongrass broth was the perfect choice. We've been making it regularly since we first posted about it back in 2008 , so we figured it was time to finally put the recipe on here rather than relying on the old post at Nourish Me staying up forever. It's a really simple recipe, but a really great one (it's already featured in our where's the best list!).  It's all about the broth - fragrant and spicy and carrying the simple veggies and tofu to new heights. A great dish for Melbourne's cold spring nights, but only if you're pro-coriander! Tofu in lemongrass broth (based on this recipe at Nourish Me ) 2 stalks of lemongrass, roughly chopped 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, cut into 2-3 chunks 6-8 makrut lime leaves 1 large bunch of coriander, washed thoroughly, leaves and stalks separated 1.5 cups wate...

September 20-23, 2016 After our time in Perth and Fremantle, we headed down the south coast to spend the rest of the week in sleepy Busselton. We'd imagined a beachy holiday, but WA's weather didn't really oblige. Instead, we had a quiet few days lounging around our apartment reading books and eating treats and generally kicking back. We didn't come to Busselton for the food, but we took our chance to explore what was on offer. We started off by checking out The Fire Station , a bar and restaurant in a gorgeous old building. It's cosy inside with a fire going and a steady stream of customers. You can swing by to try the impressive array of craft beer and local wines, or settle in for a meal. We had no trouble getting a table on the two nights that we stopped by, but I'd guess things would get pretty hectic when summer rolled around. The menu is very gastropub, with a selection of pizzas, pastas and some meatier options. There are enough vego options to go around...

September 17 & 19, 2016 The eating highlight of our time in Fremantle was Bread in Common. It's a converted warehouse with long communal tables and a no-bookings policy that reminded me of Gara gistes , and we took a punt on it for a fancy dinner. The sharing menu is a good one for vegetarians, and solid for vegans too (we overheard one sitting next to us and he seemed to be a regular!). Gluten-free folks also have plenty to choose from but the severely allergic may wish to proceed with caution - this restaurant is clearly proud of its bread and operates as a flour-dusted bakery as well as a restaurant. We were in the mood for cocktails - Michael enjoyed a negroni ($17) served with a huge ice sphere and I tried their burnt lime mule ($18). Unlimited bread comes with a $2 per person price tag, and the first section of the menu is an array of little foods that complement it. Although we ordered the sweet garlic butter with fennel salt ($2), we strongly suspect that we received th...