james test

Here's another treat we bought from Organic Wholefoods : Blue Lotus brand curried tempeh rolls. These are dairy free and appear to be completely vegan, meaning that the pastry isn't very buttery and only moderately flaky. However it still comes up well after 10 minutes in the oven! My general experience with tempeh is of a firm, fleshy and somewhat dry meat substitute but that's not what we encountered here. The filling was actually more reminiscent of mashed potato with a whiff of spice. An enjoyable and quick weeknight meal, but my loyalties still lie with my more time-intensive recipe for non-sausage rolls .

Friday, a week after my wisdom tooth removal, gave the first signs that I should pursue a more toothsome diet. I slowly and carefully ate dinner at the Fitz Curry Cafe, concentrating on the rice and sauce and trying not to look too longingly at the pappadums and naan. Soulfood 's French toast was enjoyed with more gusto on Saturday, though I set the stinging acidic pineapple to the side of my plate and happily tolerated a bit of jaw soreness afterwards. For dinner I was keen to get back into the kitchen and create something a bit gentler, but also something with substance. So I pulled out this recipe for a Middle Eastern tagine, taken from a 2006 copy of the Weekend Australian magazine and written by Nadine Abensur . We made it once before, in Brisbane, to try out our friend Camielle's exotic new tagine . In the absence of a tagine, this recipe is just a easily created with a large saucepan or casserole dish but the result isn't nearly as pretty as the magazine photo...

Next to Soulfood Cafe is Organic Wholefoods , the kind of supermarket that causes me to impulse buy $50 worth of food I didn't know I needed. Ahem. I was particularly excited to find a few vegan items that I haven't encountered before, mayonnaise and savoury yeast flakes. For the uninitiated, savoury yeast flakes (or nutritional yeast ) are used in vegan cooking to impart a cheesy flavour. I'd been warned that they can be an acquired taste but an small nibble confirmed that I'd enjoy experimenting with these (watch this space for a fantastic vegan recipe in the next few days!). Also in the shopping bag were a jar of cashew butter (for this recipe ), a cute bottle of Elgaar Farm cream , some organic maple syrup, seitan, free-range eggs and organic butter. Organic Wholefoods had lots of grains and natural remedies in bulk as well as these tempting groceries. I'll return for more novel and inspiring ingredients, and no doubt find time for a treat at Soulfood whi...

02/01/2013: Recently Soulfood has changed hands. While the menu's still largely vegetarian, they have introduced meat dishes. This post probably doesn't reflect the current incarnation.   Saturday dawned sunny and (relatively) warm, so Cindy and I decided to go for a wander through Fitzroy and Collingwood. Sure there were 'good' reasons - grocery shopping to do, haircuts to get, wedding presents to buy - but the real reason was to track down some sort of delicious lunch. We had a few ideas - Las Vegan bakery (which we still haven't visited) and Roundhouse Roti , but by the time we got to Smith Street we were both starving and unable to walk past the impressive menu on display at Soulfood Cafe. There's been something of a redesign since we were last there - the display case full of food has disappeared and the menu seems to have been expanded. Cindy and I both opted for a breakfast-styled lunch. Cindy went for something appropriate for her still slightly t...

Update, 31/12/2014: Bellissimo Gelateria is no longer trading, but there are still loads of similar offerings on Lygon St ( Casa Del Gelato is our favourite!) Icecream has been a great remedy for my tender gums and under-stimulated palate and when my chocolate litre ran out on day five, it was time for an important mission. After days moping around the house, I would dress with some modicum of self-respect, venture out of the house and procure some gelato from one of the Lygon St vendors. I didn't care which one and entered Bellissimo , the first open gelateria I encountered, not hesitating for a second before ordering an extravagant $18.50 1-litre pack to take away. Enthusiasm got the better of my still-numb and muddled mouth and I had to self-consciously repeat my order to the girl at the counter: one third watermelon & orange, one third lime, and one third hazelnut. This investment yielded returns even higher than my previous fix from Sara Lee. Gelato has a unique textu...

With Cindy's ongoing tooth problems , we needed at least one more delicious soup to get us through the week. Cindy spent the morning poking around the Internet and came up with this winner from Pinch My Salt . I won't reproduce the recipe in full as I basically followed Nicole's recipe to the letter, with the laziness-inspired exception of canned artichoke hearts taking the place of the real thing. The process of roasting the cauliflower was pretty time-consuming, especially as the house filled with delicious roasting smells, increasing our impatience for the meal. Luckily, it was worth the wait - the mix of roast cauliflower, lemon zest and artichokes created a rich and tasty treat. It was quite similar to our previous cauliflower soup , but a little lighter and healthier. I think roasting the cauliflower first was a nice touch as well. Cindy tasted a hint of cheese, which was a little odd given the lack of any cheese in the mix, while I was more enamoured of the lit...

With my jaw and gums still recovering from a wisdom tooth removal, meals in the where's the beef? household have been less diverse than usual. Michael has been doing a stellar job at catering to my whims and fancies where possible. Here's what I've been enjoying, as best my mouth allows me.... HIT: Michael's pumpkin and shallot soup . Nourishing and slightly sweet. MISS: Michael's pumpkin and shallot soup, unstrained. HIT: King Island yoghurt . I requested any lump/seed-free yoghurt and Michael pampered me with the best. The cinnamon and honey one is particularly soothing. MISS: Attempting to eat rice pudding on day two. It fared better at breakfast on day four. HIT: Chocolate ice-cream. It's years since I've shopped for ice-cream at a supermarket and it proved difficult to find one without nuts, cookie chunks or other hazards in it. Sara Lee's Ultimate Chocolate has a strange grey-brown colour but is otherwise just what the oral surgeon ord...