May 2, 2007: Vegetarian Lasagne

link to the recipe, an unenthusiastic Cindy too a backpack sum of vegies, I decided to give it a shot for Wed night's meal.

It's an exhausting process: peeling, chopping too roasting a kilo of vegies, cooking upwards the Lycopersicon esculentum sauce, making the cheese sauce, assembling too the cooking. You necessitate to bring a twain of spare hours earlier hunger volition kicking in, otherwise you'll halt upwards reaching for the snacks acre the tray is yet inward the oven. Luckily, the results were worth it: the roasted vegies were tender, the pesto-based sauce tasty too the cheese sauce gooily unhealthy. Mmmmm...cheesy. There's yet a niggling flake sitting inward the fridge, but we've each had dinner too 2 lunches out of it too then far without getting also fed up, which is high praise indeed.

May 5, 2007: Bala Da Dhaba

Regular readers (both of you!) mightiness guide maintain spotted a recent comment from Dmargster, having a friendly dig at our attachment to the inner due north in addition to naming their favourite local (Ripponlea) Indian eating topographic point inwards the process. With swift service that would hands-down compaction our local, nosotros paid a see to Ripponlea a mere 4 days later! On our pose out in addition to tardily Sabbatum night, nosotros mapped out an excursion to the due south side for dinner at Bala Da Dhaba, followed yesteryear a painting at the Classic Theatre.

I'm the form of daughter who would prefer that 'my local' is my lazy-glutton-night Indian or Thai eating topographic point but about the corner rather than whatever watering hole. Thus, I was quite chuffed that Dmargster shared this form of affection for Bala Da Dhaba in addition to it had but the unpretentious atmosphere I'd desire from my local. Picture a dated brick edifice amongst disposable newspaper tablecloths over the existent ones, vinyl padded chairs in addition to scattered Indian paraphernalia on the walls. The most nail characteristic is a pocket-size windowed room where 2 of the kitchen staff develop in addition to laid upward naan in addition to meat at the tandoori oven. Michael in addition to I were seated upward against the window into their oven-space in addition to I attempted to guide maintain a duet of sly photos. Unfortunately I failed to plough off the flash, yielding a vivid reflection off the drinking glass in addition to the attending of the guys at the oven. I shyly took 1 or 2 to a greater extent than flashless pics (all blurry - sorry!) in addition to tucked my photographic television camera away, my cheeks burning equally hot equally the bricks that were shielding our legs from the oven. It was nevertheless pretty fun to encounter the huge skewers of orangish meat descend into the dark depths, in addition to the fast, goodness rolling in addition to cooking of the dough balls into charred, fluffy bread.

There are nearly a dozen vegetarian dishes on the menu, in addition to it's also worth noting that Bala Da Dhaba has a page of specials (somewhat odd for an Indian restaurant, I think). This is where Michael chose his Paneer Akbari from ($12.90, pictured above) . I decided to exam the restaurant's baseline amongst 1 of my favourite dishes, the Malai Kofta ($9.40). Of course of pedagogy nosotros also had to exam the labours of our neighbours in addition to nosotros requested a garlic naan also ($3).

It was fortunate that nosotros had the oven to entertain us for a bit, because the service was pretty slapdash. Menus were proffered alone after I made oculus contact amongst the caput waiter, in addition to our bottle of H2O in addition to gratis pappadums arrived after our orders were taken in addition to the drinks arrived. But the mains were served really chop-chop after that, taking alone nearly 10 minutes. Michael's Paneer Akbari was huge, though non quite equally huge equally it looks - it was served inwards a dish three cm deep in addition to kept warm yesteryear concealed tealight candles. He thoroughly enjoyed the sweet, tomato-y gravy in addition to quite frankly, ate a lot to a greater extent than than he should have. (I intend I tin tell that because he groaned all the agency to the cinema!) The kofta balls were submerged inwards a similarly sweetness in addition to delicious gravy, the kofta were on the tough side of tender but to a greater extent than importantly were studded amongst cashew pieces. Finally, guide maintain a expect at that naan - guide maintain you lot always seen a naan smothered inwards in addition to thus much garlic ghee? It was quite the care for - really, our entire repast was an practise inwards exotic junk food, but it was a satisfying one. You'll guide maintain to expect elsewhere for a measured review of their cheese-less dishes!

Bala Da Dhaba is likely non the form of eating topographic point to repeatedly cross town for, but it has the comforting, scattered atmosphere in addition to smile staff I'd desire at my local. I'd move pretty pleased amongst myself on the solar daytime that my regular custom resulted inwards a nod of recognition at the door.

Address: 56-58 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea
Ph: 9523 8683
Licensed in addition to BYO
Price: veg mains $8.90-$12.90, rice in addition to breadstuff extra

May 11, 2007: Gertrude Street Grub - The Builders Arms Hotel

Update, 31/12/2014: The Builders Arms has been Cutler together with Co, Cumulus Inc together with others) together with has gone pretty upmarket. This ship service is non illustration of the pub anymore.

TrippyTaco to chase upwardly somewhere novel to blog. Things cruel into house on Fri though - the leftover provide dried upwardly on the alone solar daytime of the calendar week that The Builders Arms is opened upwardly for lunch. From the outside, The Builders Arms is a pretty average looking pub - a few tables on the street together with a fairly grimy looking populace bar - but if y'all wander through the door at the dorsum of the populace bar, y'all abide by yourself inwards a bizarrely garish pinkish restaurant. It was likewise much for me, together with hence I ordered chop-chop together with scurried dorsum to i of the exterior tables where the illusion of an old-fashioned pub could endure maintained. The carte du jour is a few steps from touchstone pub fare, amongst a vaguely Middle Eastern experience - tagines, Turkish meatballs, haloumi etc. There aren't dozens of vegetarian options, but at that topographic point are enough: a dhal, unopen to assort of artichoke empanada, vegie skewers together with a few smaller bits together with pieces.

I went for a plate of nibbles: ouzo marinated olives, Moroccan separate pea dip, Turkish breadstuff together with a few slivers of crunchy cucumber ($14). It was a fine combination - the dip inwards detail belongings all the flavours together with textures together. It was a chip of an oily choice for a workday lunch, but the cucumber cutting through it all a fiddling together with helped me pretend I was beingness healthy. The prices hither are a fiddling prohibitive past times my standards, but my commitment to documenting the Gertrude Street scene (and my predilection for olives) meant that it was worth stopping inwards at to the lowest degree once.

Address: 211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Ph: 9419 0818
Licensed (it is a pub later all)
Prices: Vego mains: $12-$18

May 11, 2007: Citrus Peanut Noodles

this recipe for Citrus Peanut Noodles on Tuesday - inside hours I'd bookmarked it; a hateful solar daytime subsequently I had the ingredients; 3 days from posting it was on our table! We doubled the sauce recipe thence that nosotros had enough of season to coat to a greater extent than or less saccharide snap peas, julienned zucchini as well as carrot too equally the noodles. We genuinely ate it warm on Fri night, but it proved to endure but equally tasty mutual frigidity for a picnic luncheon on Saturday. There's withal to a greater extent than to endure enjoyed equally a operate luncheon on Monday! The sauce is rattling much similar a lite satay thence you lot know it'll travel your tastebuds jumping. Even better, the orangish zest adds something exclusively new: aromatic, sugariness as well as a fiddling chip tangy.

May 19, 2007: Bo De Trai

After months of vague intentions, Cindy in addition to I lastly made the trip to Footscray on Sat to explore Melourne's mulitcultural heartland. It was an strange variety of hateful solar daytime - quite sunny in addition to warm when nosotros left Carlton, but cloudy in addition to windy past times the fourth dimension the autobus pulled upwards inward Footscray. The alter inward the atmospheric condition actually enhanced the feeling that we'd travelled a lot farther than 5 kilometres. After a quick wander through the Little Saigon market, which is filled alongside unidentifiable fruits in addition to vegetables, Vietnamese hawkers in addition to lots in addition to lots of people, nosotros decided to accept a pause from the crowds in addition to honor some lunch. There are a handful of impressive looking Ethiopian restaurants dotted some the suburb, but Cindy was determined to bask some Vietnamese food. Unfortunately, Vietnamese restaurants tend non to live the almost vegetarian friendly places inward town - the description of the beef pho inward the window at Hung Vuong included the words: blood, tendon, offal in addition to pizzle - important that nosotros couldn't but wander into i of the dozens of bustling places that nosotros strolled past. Luckily, our Cheap Eats guide came to the rescue - recommending Bố Dế Trai, a eating seat that combines Vietnamese cooking alongside Buddhist vegetarian ethics.

Emphasising how meat-based Vietnamese nutrient tends to be, the card was at to the lowest degree 50% faux-meat, alongside mistaken abalone, snapper, squid, chicken, duck, pork in addition to lamb on offering (no pizzle though, unfortunately). Despite having spent the calendar week munching our agency through gluten pieces in addition to TVP, Cindy in addition to I were both neat to direct maintain a crevice at some to a greater extent than imitation meat. She went alongside shredded imitation pork pare served alongside rice vermicelli in addition to shredded greens. It looked a flake dry out to me, but came alongside a picayune bowl of sauce that livened things up.

I was going to avoid faux-meat, but at that topographic point was an article from The Age stuck to the wall advocating the imitation claypot lamb in addition to I was unable to resist. It was a fine choice - a huge hotpot filled to bursting alongside vegies, crispy 'skin' bits in addition to chunks of tender 'lamb'. The sauce was mild in addition to flavoursome, loaded upwards alongside Chinese 5 spice in addition to low-cal on the chilli. It ended upwards existence likewise much for me - it actually would direct maintain sufficed equally a lunch-sized repast for both of us - and, equally delicious equally it was, it's in all likelihood position me off whatsoever to a greater extent than faux-meat for a few weeks at least.


Which was unfortunate, equally our adjacent halt was Vincent's Vegetarian Food, an Asian grocery specialising inward faux-meat products. We had a quick browse through the freezer sections, spotting eel, lobster, oysters, fish, beef, ham, pork, chicken, bacon in addition to lamb, in addition to grabbing a few bits in addition to pieces for the (reasonably distant) future. Three loving cup chicken was something nosotros used to purchase fairly regularly from an Asian supermarket inward Brisbane in addition to plough into satay dinners, in addition to thence nosotros grabbed a bundle of it. For the sake of variety, nosotros also picked upwards some vegie sesame fillets (which expect a picayune similar the fake-fish of a few weeks ago), some roast 'chicken', a bundle of taro paratha and, but because nosotros spotted it, some agar agar (a non-animal based alternative to gelatine).

Loaded downwards alongside tiffin in addition to a backpack total of fake-meat, it was fourth dimension to boundary dorsum on the autobus in addition to provide to the to a greater extent than familiar surrounds of the inner-North. Still, it's dainty to know that the tastes, sounds in addition to smells of Vietnam are but a twenty infinitesimal autobus ride away.

Bố Dế Trai
Address: 94 Hopkins Street, Footscray
Ph: 9689 9909
BYO
Price: $5 - $13

Vincent's Vegetarian Food
Address: 353 Barkley Street, Footscray
Ph: 9687 0808
Website: http://www.vincentvegetarianfood.com/

May 19, 2007: Dessert Pesto

Here's my novel project design on a stay-inside Sabbatum afternoon - dessert pesto. This is non much to a greater extent than than a blended version of the chocolate clusters I late made, alongside a fleck of cream cheese to bind it together inwards a spreadable consistency. It's non quite every bit chocolatey every bit it looks: the blended dried cherries too added a rich night taste, texture together with colour. I spread it on patently dry out (but slightly sweet) biscuits together with was inwards afternoon tea heaven. It was actually only an experimental crusade at using upwards my final small-scale portions of pistachios together with dried cherries, but I tin move run into myself pushing this sentiment farther alongside other fruit together with nut combinations: dried apricot together with almond, maybe, or dried apple tree together with cashew alongside white chocolate...?

Dessert pesto

Throw virtually ii dessertspoon-fulls of dried cherries inwards a blender together with pulse until mushy. Add an equal book of pistachios together with pulse briefly to pause them upwards a bit. Next add together virtually 20g of dark cooking chocolate together with pulse again. Finally, add together one dessertspoon-full of cream cheese together with pulse until only combined. Transfer to a small-scale serving dish together with relish alongside patently biscuits.

May 22, 2007: Breizoz Ii

here.)

May 22, 2007: Max Brenner

room left inward our stomachs in addition to schedule, Michael in addition to I made our outset catch to the Max Brenner chocolate store inward the QV building. This calendar week wintertime has hitting difficult for us sensitive Queenslanders in addition to nosotros were slap-up to snag a spot within in addition to comfort ourselves amongst hot chocolate. Much every bit I dear chocolate, I've been inward no rush to catch Max Brenner: other chocolate lovers I'm acquainted with, both inward the blogosphere in addition to inward person, convey been fairly indifferent to Max Brenner's brand. And it actually is a brand. The alcove of gifts is horrendously overpriced in addition to Koko Black.

May 27, 2007: Invita

this?" I had my answer: amongst unpretentious, affordable in addition to healthful nutrient prepared at habitation in addition to past times the likes of Invita.

Address: 76 Therry St, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Ph: 9329 1267
Price: vege lunches $8-14
Website: www.invita.com.au

May 27, 2007: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

this recipe at here.

May 31, 2007: Leftover Makeover - Spiced Chickpea Pastries

spiced chickpeas as well as stir-fried sweetcorn. On Th nighttime I stretched them it to approximately other meal, using the chickpeas equally a filling for pastry parcels as well as serving the sweetcorn on the side, along amongst approximately wilted babe spinach leaves. This leftover makeover is prepared most equally ofttimes equally the master copy dish!

June 1, 2007: Rathdowne St Nutrient Store

another breakfast out on Rathdowne St, but this Fri morn was the concluding repast that Michael in addition to I would move sharing for a bit. It was also Michael's concluding direct chances to bask a expert repast for almost ii days, in addition to to bask a expert repast from a carte he could read for almost ii weeks. In a dyad of hours, he'd move commencement his journeying to Budapest for a most-expenses-paid conference in addition to a few extra days of exploration (lucky kid). As good equally rating a dyad of recent comments on our blog, the Rathdowne St Food Store has long been praised by the punters in addition to it was close fourth dimension nosotros gave it a go. On a weekday morn at that spot was no problem getting a tabular array inside.

The carte is substantial, amongst an array of egg-based dishes including build-your-own; porridge, muesli in addition to fruit for the virtuous; toast, muffins in addition to pastries for the small-scale of appetite; in addition to hotcakes for the incorrigible sweeth tooth. Michael picked out 1 of his all-time favourites, eggs florentine ($13.50). He genuinely didn't transcend much comment on them but did complete earlier I was a quarter of the means through my meal, thence swiped to a greater extent than or less of my toast to mop upwards the traces of hollandaise from his plate. Guess they were OK, then. (Michael, experience complimentary to post service comment on them instead!)

What amongst my egg aversion, I decided to cook my ain hearty in addition to savoury breakfast, requesting mushrooms on toast amongst avocado in addition to hash browns ( $15). By the fourth dimension it reached the tabular array my avocado had morphed into spinach, but I took it equally a sign that hash browns were process plenty for me this morning. This plate was fifty-fifty heartier than I anticipated - inward item the toast was super thick cutting in addition to lightly grainy. Awesome. The mushrooms in addition to spinach were barely seasoned, depending exclusively on their ain vege merits. They for sure measured up. But I was most impressed yesteryear the hashbrowns: compact; steaming, soft but textured centres spiked amongst dark pepper; crunchy but non greasy crusts. Avo-what? I didn't immature adult woman it - fifty-fifty amongst unsolicited assistance from Michael, I only made it through 3 quarters of what I was served.

Brekky at the Rathdowne St Food Store is a tad pricier than what I'm accustomed to, but I mean value nosotros got pretty expert value for our money. If I wasn't inclined to provide for the breakfasts, I'd withal come upwards crawling dorsum to displace a pear in addition to chocolate muffin, or to discovery out if whatever of those pies inward the display illustration are vego.

Address: 617 Rathdowne St, Carlton North
Ph: 9347 4064
Price: veg breakfasts $5-20

Baby Cauliflower

While shopping for my showtime solo dinner, I constitute simply the matter for a unmarried serving: a babe cauliflower. Oh, too the fork's for scale - I wasn't genuinely going to dig inward forthwith away! My cauli wasn't to a greater extent than than 12 centimetres inward diameter, too genuinely stretched to 3 bowls of stir-fry.

June 3, 2007: Kokosnoot Chai Breakfast Cake

this recipe for kokosnoot chai breakfast cake - non exclusively did it audio tasty but it appeared to endure relatively healthy, every bit cakes go, as well as I was curious to run into how breakfasty a cake could get. (Hopefully to a greater extent than than my previous sense of post-party late-next-morning breakfast cake.)

I wishing I had read the recipe the nighttime earlier - I mightiness bring made my loving cup of chai as well as thus as well as sped upward the whole process. This footstep excepted, it's a pretty quick as well as straightforward cake batter to ready - as well as best of all, it's vegan! The number is real moist, alongside a thick, chewy crust. It's sweet, sure, but it does bring a wholesome sense of savour alongside all those wholegrains as well as fruit. Rather than repeating it for breakfast I'm gradually getting through this cake every bit a low-guilt afternoon snack, simply the matter to savor alongside a loving cup of tea as well as and thus ability on through to dinner. Unfortunately I used also much almond nitty-gritty as well as it reeks of amaretto, thus the spices as well as chai are completely lost. But I bring enjoyed this cake plenty that I'll campaign it in i lawsuit again (without the almond essence).

Tales from the Veggie Kitchen, as well as at that spot it is credited to Fat Free Vegan)

June 8, 2007: Nila Junction

Update, 31/12/2014: Nila Junction has closed, every bit has its former city branch. There's a Nila restaurant at in 1 trial trading inward Coburg that may endure a related enterprise.

Beth is nonetheless theme on crutches in addition to volition endure for some fourth dimension yet, in addition to inward the terminal few weeks at abode she has buy the farm a regular at the closest eatery to her home, Nila Junction. The get upwards of Beth's 'local' was unknown to me until solely minutes before nosotros arrived in addition to I was really pleased to endure visiting Nila - Tracy in addition to Johanna had both already recommended it to me (and Johanna has reviewed the Nila City eatery here). Nila Junction has the expect of a kebab store or similar takeaway - all tiles in addition to lino, formica tables without cloths in addition to a big shiny hot box. The solely affair to laid it apart was the TV inward the corner, blaring Bollywood hits. Even every bit they bounced boisterously off the polish surfaces, our ain boisterous conversation was easily heard roughly the tabular array - I simply felt compelled to bob my shoulders to the musical rhythm out occasionally.

Nila's bill of fare is extensive but quite dissimilar to what I ordinarily encounter at Indian restaurants (you tin give notice encounter it for yourself breakfast cake before inward the week, I was actually keen to sample a dinner doughnut... adjacent time, Cindy.)

The kickoff to instruct inward was my plate of pakora ($1.95). Fresh-from-the-frier slices of battered... zucchini, I think. The kickoff curry off the ranks is Tracy's pumpkin puli kolambu ($5.50), the spiciest dish of the nighttime but also tangy alongside tamarind in addition to really tasty.

We ordered 3 dosai plates: ii of the masala dosai ($4.95), therefore a cheese dosai ($5.95). The lentil pancake was crunchy, chewy in addition to tender inward simply the correct proportions, alongside the masala ones filled alongside warm spiced pototoes, turmeric yellowish alongside dark mustard seed polka dots. The cheese 1 was simply that, filled alongside stretchy, tasty, melty cheeeeeese. The moderately spicy rasam cutting through it similar a charm. The curry is the Malaysian option, masak lemak sayur campur ($5.50), alongside tofu, mixed veg in addition to kokosnoot milk. Pleasant, but lost inward the crowd of fun dishes this evening.

The 3rd curry is a chickpea masala ($5.50), in addition to really tasty it was. Just a bowl of this in addition to some breadstuff or rice, in addition to I'd endure a really happy luncher on whatsoever twenty-four hours of the week. Tracy in addition to Beth both ordered cups of teh tarah ($1.50): hot, frothy in addition to condensed milk-sweet tea. I had a punt on the crazy pinkish concoction on the right, a flavoured rose milk ($3). It was indeed sweetness in addition to rosy, alongside the fragrance in addition to coloring reminding Beth of musk sticks. It was to a greater extent than intensely flavoured in addition to less glutinous than a lassi, but would produce the same cooling chore against a challenging curry.

There were a span of roti to soak upwards the curries, both plainly ($1.50) in addition to potato-stuffed ($3.95). The roti were excellent, pipage hot in addition to deliciously flaky. As this gaggle of girls began to boring downwardly (only alongside the eating, mind; the conversation hadn't lost momentum), Beth's friend Merrick arrived in addition to galantly mopped upwards our leftovers alongside ii fresh roti. With a novel somebody to endure intermittently distracted past times in addition to from, nosotros hung roughly for most some other hr in addition to past times therefore I was ready for what I wanted: dessert. Merrick cheerfully backed upwards my proposition in addition to Tracy in addition to Mich later folded without a discussion of coaxing from me. Merrick generously shared a roti pisang, stuffed alongside banana ($3.50). If you've e'er been a fan of the banana sandwich, you lot ask to attempt a banana pastry sandwich. Yummo.

Tracy ventured into the unknown alongside the roti tisu ($3.50), "handkerchief sparse crispy corn shaped breadstuff topped alongside condensed milk". Wow. As big every bit a hat, the shape successfully kept the breadstuff sail crisp, fifty-fifty every bit it dripped inward sweet, sweetness milk. Several of us took bully pleasance inward helping Tracy complete this. Mich in addition to I each ordered gulab jamun ($1.50): to endure honest it's non the best 1 I've had, in addition to the syrup was all carbohydrate in addition to no spice at all, non fifty-fifty a whiff of rose water. But I would get got left mildly dissatisfied if I didn't at to the lowest degree attempt it.

Nila Junction certain ain't the Taj Mahal but I'd much rather hang out hither for a span of hours alongside friends or simply to grab a inexpensive lunch. While non the fanciest Indian nutrient on the block it is astounding value for coin in addition to there's aught similar a Bollywood filmclip to brighten my twenty-four hours in addition to instruct my caput bobbing.

Edit 04/07/2010: Nila Junction is no to a greater extent than but there's some other inexpensive in addition to cheerful Indian cafe inward its place.

Address: 702 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Ph: 9383 4888
Price: veg nutrient $1.50-$10
Website: www.nila.net.au

June 9, 2007: Browns Bakery

20/12/2012: The Carlton branch of Browns seems to convey unopen down. Looks similar Baker's Delight won the battle.

I did approximately grocery shopping inward the early on afternoon on Sabbatum together with picked upwards this vegetarian sticky ($5.20) from Browns Bakery on my agency home. While I could convey had it microwaved there, I elected to bask it inward the comfort of my ain couch afterwards xv minutes inward the oven. The pastry is generous together with comforting: a fleck flaky, a fleck buttery, but non at all greasy. The filling is dominated past times murphy but equally you lot tin encounter below, equally good includes a diversity of other veges. The flavor is mild amongst a hint of pepper. After a duad of examination bites I elected to add together sauce, though it would endure nearly equally enjoyable without it. While this was easily $5.20's worth of satisfaction on a wintertime afternoon it's possible that it's available elsewhere for less. I couldn't assistance noticing that Browns' corn, cheese together with asparagus pie looked identical to the ones I occasionally purchase from a University of Melbourne foodspot for $1-2 less.

June 13, 2007: White Lotus Ii

Edit 11/11/2017: Sadly White Lotus is no longer inward business, but there's a Loving Hut here now.

After well-nigh iv days of subsisting on whatever's been inward the fridge, supplemented amongst a few fresh veges, I decided that I'd splurge on a takeaway earlier Michael returns home. Several times throughout Midweek I idea well-nigh what I should order. On a wintery eventide amongst "showers in addition to local hail" forecast, delivery seemed the smartest option. But delivery constrained me to pizza or Indian, neither of which I was specially interested in. What I truly wanted was some Chinese-style mock meat from the White Lotus vegetarian eating seat in addition to I was pretty certain they don't deliver. Phoning ahead in addition to picking upward presents a few to a greater extent than obstacles than it should: y'all see, I don't drive. No license, no car. I merely never got to a greater extent than or less to it. It would live on a long mutual frigidity walk, an extravagant cab ride, or a cumbersome tram trip. But every bit I walked habitation from function to clearing skies, I knew I wanted it that much. I phoned my fellowship in, in addition to the homo receiving it warned me that they were busy in addition to would quest 35-45 minutes to hit total my order. As it was I needed 35 minutes to larn there! The idea of some steaming 'duck' in addition to veges cocooned me from the mutual frigidity air in addition to I was inward the eating seat for less in addition to thus 10 minutes earlier I had my nutrient zipped upward inward an insulated pocketbook in addition to out the door. I almost skipped dorsum to the tramstop in addition to fidgeted all the agency home, knowing that the object of my wishing was hidden inward the pocketbook beside me. By this fourth dimension I was ravenous amongst hunger.

It was truly entirely a piffling over an hr betwixt my telephone fellowship in addition to arrival dorsum home. Strangely I had the self command to introduce my sweetness in addition to sour 'duck' ($14.50), mixed veges ($11.50) in addition to steamed rice ($1.50) on my mistaken White Lotus plate (purchased inward Footscray a few weeks ago) in addition to cause got a few photos. The rice in addition to mixed veges were null special, in addition to afterwards such a journeying it was inevitable that the battered "duck" wouldn't live on every bit hot in addition to crisp every bit it should be. The sweetness in addition to sour sauce, packed separately, was pleasantly tangy in addition to non the saccharide syrup that it thus oftentimes is. Hardly seems worth the trouble, does it? Yet the planning, the slightly inconvenient trip, the edifice hunger in addition to the anticipation were an unexpected joy inward themselves. And no lukewarm carrots could spoil that.

(You tin read well-nigh our previous take in to the White Lotus here.)

June 14, 2007: Choc-Chip Cookies

Kingaroy to munch on piece she camped as well as worked. This calendar week I bring been depending on Fiona's cute piddling machine, as well as I decided to supply it amongst a box of home-made choc-chip cookies to limited my appreciation.