The Potatoes Of China

July 28-August 6, 2018

Our vacation inwards PRC was hosted yesteryear ii lovey locals - ane a fluent Chinese speaker, as well as the other a vegan resident of ane twelvemonth alongside a growing vocabulary. They provided us an sense nosotros could never accept arranged for ourselves! In particular, Michael as well as I tend to rely on Happy Cow to direct our eating piece travelling, but our hosts merely led us to regular menage unit of measurement restaurants as well as picked wisely from the menu. Many menus included photographs of the food, as well as to a greater extent than than I expected to added English linguistic communication text too, as well as thence nosotros had our turns at ordering.

Another pleasant surprise was the broad array of murphy dishes to hold upwards had! Here's a sample of the wonderful potatoes of China.

At a Hunan eating seat our thinly sliced potatoes arrived slightly undercooked, alongside a burner underneath gear upwards to complete the project inwards forepart of us. It was hard to resist picking slices from the top, piece raw onion slices, whole garlic cloves as well as chilli bubbled inwards petroleum underneath. Waiting as well as stirring as well as waiting exactly about to a greater extent than yielded richer, spicier slices.

These Sichuan-style potatoes were served fully cooked as well as sliced a lilliputian thicker, alongside a company chilli striking but none of the numbing pepper that the say is famous for (rest assured, in that place was enough Sichuan pepper inwards the other dishes on the table!).

We received similarly sliced Yunnan potatoes inwards a hot ceramic pot; they had a lovely caramelisation to them as well as a telltale pool of chilli petroleum inwards the bottom of the pot.

This dish was described equally a Shanghai presentation of a Dongbei dish, which nosotros had several times over on our trip. Here the potatoes are served alongside eggplant as well as capsicum, as well as they're all smothered inwards a thick, sweet, soy-salty sauce.

Here's exactly about other version of the Dongbei potatoes, eggplant as well as capsicum; less caramelly as well as to a greater extent than garlicky, alongside the potatoes having a confit texture.

The shredded potatoes are a dissimilar sense altogether! They're as well as thence lightly cooked that they retain exactly about raw crunchiness, as well as they're made fifty-fifty fresher as well as livelier alongside a dash of vinegar. 

Eating inwards a Xinjiang halal eating seat was ane of the to a greater extent than unexpected experiences of our trip. Our disinterest inwards mutton meant that our companionship looked real dissimilar to the ones at neighbouring tables, as well as our waitress tried to persuade us away from ordering ii plates of potatoes. They had a mutual seasoning that included sesame seeds as well as cumin as well as reminded me of za'atar or dukkah, as well as the final result was subtly dissimilar but exactly equally proficient on both the murphy sticks as well as the apartment rounds.

While nosotros ever expected to hold upwards stuffing ourselves light-headed on rice as well as noodles inwards China, nosotros were thrilled to accept as well as thence many meals alongside our other favourite carbohydrate, the potato.

The Noodles Of China

July 29 - August 6, 2018

Noodles were a utilization of our meals inward mainland People's Republic of China at to the lowest degree every bit oft every bit potatoes. Sometimes they were served every bit a unmarried dish during a shared meal; at others nosotros each ordered a big bowl of our own. They were always terrific.

This minor bowl of noodles was the start dish to brand it at a Yunnan restaurant. The translucent noodles were based on mung beans, sliced into thick batons in addition to served cold. Their dressing was i of the most fiery chilli oils of our holiday, in addition to sent me into a coughing fit.

These thin, chewy Shanghai-style noodles were much to a greater extent than forgiving, stir-fried amongst salty-soy flavours, mushrooms in addition to light-green vegetables.

After a hot twenty-four hours traipsing some town, I should non accept been surprised that mutual depression temperature noodles amongst shredded cucumber would endure then refreshing! They were lightly dressed inward broth amongst dots of chilli oil.

They were a footling upstaged, though, yesteryear our accompanying bowl of youpo mian (oil pulled noodles). These characteristic kudai (belt) noodles amongst a few steamed greens in addition to an unforgettable dressing of chilli, garlic in addition to oil. I was tentative almost the chilli-intensity initially, but discovered a smoky slow-burn that I non solely could handle, but absolutely loved.

We had some to a greater extent than cold, translucent mung edible bean noodles inward a Dongbei restaurant. They were impossibly slippery for an inelegant chopstick-operator similar me, but worth the awkwardness for their sesame dressing.

These mutual depression temperature Sichuan noodles were somewhat familiar from our visits to Dainty Sichuan inward Melbourne - I've grown to taste the invigorating contrast of their mutual depression temperature temperature in addition to fiery spice (and I'm peculiarly delight when they're served amongst peanuts).

We ordered these noodle bowls from an alley-way noodle store that's Michelin-recommended: Ding Te Le. Slathered inward peanut sauce (pictured front), they were impossibly rich - 3 of us barely finished the bowl betwixt us. Submerged inward broth in addition to served amongst some meat-mocking mushrooms (pictured dorsum left), these sparse fresh noodles were at their best.

Here's a minute bowl of youpo mian from a unlike restaurant, where it was served amongst assorted finely chopped vegetables in addition to fresh edible bean sprouts (but merely every bit much garlic, chilli in addition to oil!).

At the same restaurant, I ordered the noodles amongst Lycopersicon esculentum in addition to egg afterward learning that this is a really mutual vegetarian pick throughout China. It was then mild in addition to nourishing - I could imagine what a comforting repast this could endure when you're sick. But I wasn't sick, in addition to I was a combat jealous of Michael's minute first-class bowl of youpo mian.

Of all the noodles inward China, it's definitely those youpo mian that are haunting us! We'll endure keenly looking out for them dorsum inward Melbourne. Maybe nosotros tin fifty-fifty function upward to making our own....

Jianbing

July 30-August 4, 2018

In this finally post nigh our vacation inward China, I desire to pay tribute to jianbing. H5N1 completely novel nutrient to us, jianbing is typically sold from a modest stall at breakfast fourth dimension (the vendor close our Shanghai storey was clearly subletting his topographic point in addition to all describe of his work organisation vanished past times 10am each day).

Jianbing is the crispy golden savoury breakfast of my dreams: a sparse pancake amongst an egg cracked over it equally it cooks; sprinkled amongst jump onions, ginger in addition to garlic; folded ane time in addition to spread amongst chilli paste; topped amongst a fried cracker in addition to folded twice more; sliced inward one-half in addition to tossed inward a bag. Watch the entire procedure skillfully accomplished inward only sixty seconds inward the video below.

It costs the equivalent of ane or 2 Aussie dollars, in addition to there's a distich of modest variations available. Our vegan mates ordered egg-free ones, which this vendor happily made, though it clearly disrupted his musculus memory! We liked to pay extra in addition to convey a doughnut stick rolled inward amongst the cracker (see reach photo), in addition to nosotros noticed other people getting meat inward theirs.

Though jianbing is clearly an oily sometimes-food amongst express nutritional value, nosotros strategically walked the Canis familiaris past times this stall every distich of days, eating all the jianbing nosotros could grip earlier nosotros lost access to it. It's an sense nosotros don't await to replicate inward Melbourne.

Mint Slice

August 12, 2018

It's difficult to believe that this spider web log has been running 12 years amongst nary a mint while recipe! It's my favourite sort of supermarket biscuit, as well as a pretty mutual recipe for abode baking too. I scanned a few pop local sources (Cadbury, Taste, Donna Hay) as well as cobbled together something that check my preference: a biscuity base of operations amongst kokosnoot but non eggs; a minty layer amongst soft fondant texture as well as no nutrient colouring; the darkest of chocolate tops. No copha! Turns out that it's pretty slow to brand this version vegan too.

The intensity of the mintiness is definitely upward to personal preference, as well as fifty-fifty as well as thus I uncovering it difficult to estimate what quantity of essence volition hitting the grade I like. I proceeded amongst caution, as well as ended upward sneaking about extra inwards the chocolate layer it ramp it up. Don't hold upward surprised if yous postulate to experiment over a few batches too.

I'd highly recommend storing this version inwards the refrigerator - the base of operations is a flake crumbly as well as the mint filling definitely has a flake of squish to it!

Mint Slice
(adapted from recipes on the Cadbury as well as Donna Hay websites)

base
3/4 loving cup manifestly flour
1/4 loving cup cocoa
1/2 loving cup dessicated coconut
1/4 loving cup chocolate-brown sugar
140g margarine

filling
ii tablespoons margarine
three cups icing sugar
ii tablespoons vegan milk
i teaspoon peppermint essence, or to taste

topping
200g nighttime chocolate chips
i tablespoon vegetable oil
pinch of salt

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray amongst baking paper.

In a medium-large bowl, sift together the manifestly flour as well as cocoa. Stir inwards the kokosnoot as well as sugar. Melt the margarine inwards a pocket-size saucepan or microwave, as well as pour it into a pocket-size bowl. Stir together the ingredients until good combined, as well as thus press the mixture into the base of operations of the baking tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through.

Melt the margarine inwards a pocket-size saucepan or microwave. Sift over the icing saccharide as well as whisk until smooth, adding only plenty vegan milk to practise a thick, smoothen fondant. Stir inwards the peppermint essence. Pour the icing mixture over the base, smoothen it out, as well as refrigerate until firm, most an hour.

Melt all of the topping ingredients inwards a double boiler set-up as well as stir until smooth. Pour over the slice, smoothen over, as well as refrigerate until firm, most thirty minutes.

Store it inwards the fridge, as well as cutting the while into rectangles to serve.

Union Kiosk

August 18, 2018

Cindy too I needed a CBD dejeuner earlier hitting Shandong Mama, but nosotros decided to accept a interruption from Chinese nutrient too hitting upwardly Union Kiosk. It's a tiny hole-in-the-wall house on a niggling laneway pumping out a broad array of vegan toasties too coffee. It's form of incredible to mean value that Melbourne tin back upwardly a wholly vegan jaffle house - we've come upwardly a long agency since this weblog began inwards 2006. 

Anyway, the bill of fare offers upwardly 8 savoury too 2 sweetness jaffles, ranging from delights similar veg bolognaise, garlic butter too mozzarella through to a melted hazelnut jackfruit chicken recipe) too deliciously smothered inwards impressively melty cheese too a decent gravy. Cindy was fifty-fifty bolder, ordering the jerk jackfruit alongside cheese too chilli pineapple ($7 - pictured, correct below). She loved it, insisting it was meliorate than mine, alongside prissy spices on the jackfruit jerk too a decent total of pineapple dotted throughout (a terrible mistake, if you lot inquire me).

We grabbed only about takeaway sweets for our walk to the house - a berry crumble spell for me too a chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookie for Cindy. They both did the project rattling nicely.

Union Kiosk is a fantastic CBD option - a wholly vegan house that has actually nailed downwards a niche. We'll locomote back!

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There are a distich of rattling positive reviews of Union Kiosk on veggie blogs The Good Hearted too Messy Veggies.

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Union Kiosk
3/306 Little Collins St (on Causeway Lane)
0413 402331
menu board
https://www.facebook.com/unionkiosk/

Accessibility: Union Kiosk is tucked inwards a crowded, uneven laneway. There are exclusively a distich of tiny tables alongside depression stools. You lodge too pay at a depression counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Xi'an Famous

August 19, 2018

As nosotros expounded upon our novel dear for youpo mian, Laura Jean McKay suggested that nosotros laissez passer on Melbourne's Xi'an Famous a go. This mini-chain has outlets inward the CBD, Carlton as well as Caulfield, as well as nosotros figured the CBD 1 would hold upward a convenient dinner halt earlier settling inward for a MIFF movie.

Online reviews warned us that this isn't a house for vegetarians, but nosotros noticed a solid selection or 2 inward each department of the menu: hot as well as mutual coldness rice or wheat noodles amongst chilli or sesame; a vegetable or egg burger; footling fried pancakes as well as pies; vegetable dumplings; as well as mutual coldness dishes similar chilli crude edible bean curd as well as shredded potato.

But nosotros were hither to exam out the large bowls of noodles! Ensuring nosotros had some variation on the youpo mian, I ordered the love apple tree as well as egg noodle ($12.80). It was enormous, amongst a real mild as well as almost milky broth, enough of love apple tree as well as egg fragments floating through, as well as a large submerged majority of noodles (the same every bit the ones below). The overall consequence was a flake bland as well as soupy, as well as yet again I was jealous of Michael's superior order!

He had, of course, the youpo mian - called spicy hot crude seared mitt ripped noodles ($12.80) inward English linguistic communication on the menu. The garlic-chilli dressing was just what nosotros fondly recalled from our couplet of bowls inward China. I was over again tentative well-nigh the chilli intensity, but it was good inside my tolerance. The noodles, though, were a flake of a let-down: far from the broad apartment belts nosotros loved, these were to a greater extent than thick as well as slender as well as thus, much chewier.

This eating theatre has a casual, help-yourself style; the staff confirmed amongst us what was vegetarian as well as were quick to plough roughly the food. While this wasn't quite the youpo mian we're yearning for, I'd gladly supply to social club it (and perhaps some of the other fried things!) again.

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Xi'an Famous
260 Russell St, Melbourne
9663 3993
noodles; noodles & fried things; soups, noodles & dumplings; cold dishes & drinks

Accessibility: There's a pocket-sized pace on entry. Inside, slice of furniture is a mixture of depression tables amongst backed chairs as well as high tables amongst stools; they're densely arranged amongst a clear corridor through the middle (see photos above). We ordered as well as paid at a depression counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Tidbit Cakes & Cafe

August 26, 2018

I commencement got to know Rhi through her weblog Vegan inwards Melbourne in addition to was really excited for her when she opened her ain business, Tidbit cakes, inwards Richmond. Rhi's top dog merchandise is inwards special occasion cakes but she also sells smaller daily treats from her brightly lit workspace. Everything is vegan.

Sadly our lunchtime see was likewise belatedly to claim whatever of the sausage rolls, but nosotros were good satisfied amongst the toasties however available. Rhi blends ii vegan cheeses to larn the best combination of meltiness (Bio Cheese) in addition to flavor (Vegusto). I liked that the pesto, Lycopersicon esculentum & cheese version ($10) was seedy in addition to nutty, in addition to loved the mustard in addition to pickle piquance of the ham/cheese/tomato criterion ($12.50).

There's a distich of piddling tables to consume inwards at Tidbit, but Rhi had also pointed out to me the domestic dog common only downwardly the street, thus nosotros had our sweets boxed upwardly for a takeaway inwards the belatedly wintertime sun. While nosotros watched lots of cute canines frolicking, nosotros divide ii fantabulous desserts. This is i of the best vegan cheesecakes ($7) I've e'er eaten - super smoothen in addition to without a whiff of tofu, amongst a thick chocolatey biscuit base of operations (get outta here, raw appointment crusts). We made a magnificent mess of the nutella brownie ($6), which was super-dooper fudgy, amongst only a piddling welcome crustiness roughly the edges.

Though nosotros didn't purchase whatever on this day, these guys brand the well-nigh stunning vegan macarons! Sadly for us, Richmond's exterior our regular circle of movement, but yous tin forcefulness out bet we'll halt inwards in i lawsuit again (hopefully for a sausage roll) when we're within Tidbit's range.

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Tidbit has also appeared on the weblog messy veggies.

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Tidbit cakes & cafe
255 Mary St, Richmond
0434 872 867
https://www.tidbitcakes.com/

Accessibility: There's a ramp on entry in addition to to a greater extent than flooring infinite than slice of furniture inside. We ordered in addition to paid at a depression counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Northcote Fish & Chips

August 29, 2018

H5N1 few months dorsum the veg*n telegraph pounced on the word that Northcote Fish & Chips were trialling a vegan menu, in addition to thus when nosotros were looking for a quick dinner inwards Northcote nosotros headed straightaway there. The sign on the street promising vegan dim sims made it clear nosotros were inwards the correct place.

The vegan carte du jour has mock prawns in addition to scampi, a pumpkin burger, mushy peas, salad summation dim sims, fish, chips in addition to white patato cakes. We stuck alongside a a pretty classic fish in addition to combat store club - a pair of dim sims ($1 each from memory), a serve of the Vish ($8.5), a scoop of chips ($3.9) in addition to a pair of white patato cakes ($1.25 each). 

The dim sims were fine - I'm non hugely nostalgic for them, but they're prissy fried piffling parcels of cabbage in addition to other veggies, served alongside unopen to soy sauce for dunking.

The fish was the star of the present - an oatmeal in addition to soy fillet, wrapped inwards nori in addition to beer-battered. It absolutely delivers the fried fishy goodness you've been missing. Throw inwards unopen to first-class crispy white patato cakes in addition to practiced chips in addition to you've got the perfect mock fish meal. The guy who runs the articulation is super friendly in addition to it's rattling good located - this house is destined to choke a Melbourne vego staple.

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The solely other post nosotros tin honor nearly Northcote Fish in addition to Chip is Messy Veggies announcing the vegan arrive at dorsum inwards July.

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Northcote Fish & Chips
341 High Street, Northcote
9482 9079
vegan menu
https://www.northcotefishandchips.com.au

Accessibility: There's a apartment but narrow entryway in addition to a few good spaced tables inside. You club in addition to pay at a depression counter. We didn't view the toilets.

Coke & Peanuts Canvas Cake

August 30, 2018

Last calendar month Slate pushed an article into my RSS reader pronouncing Coke as well as Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Is Sweet, Salty as well as Southern. H5N1 sweetness as well as salty dessert alongside an offbeat ingredient list? I was real predictably Into It. I constitute the correct excuse to instruct inwards shortly enough: nosotros develop off on a long weekend inwards Forrest alongside a yoke of friends as well as I resolved to accept nigh of the cake along alongside us, leaving a quarter of it dorsum domicile alongside our truthful cat sitter.

This recipe is egg-free as well as pretty slow to veganise, hence I went ahead as well as substituted Nuttelex for the master copy butter. This alone goes a small-scale agency towards explaining the worrisome things I noticed equally I proceeded. The cake batter was thick as well as a fighting rubbery, as well as it barely stretched across the baking tray I'd chosen for it, fifty-fifty though this was smaller than the baking tray directed inwards the recipe. It never achieved the fluffiness of a fresh cake, as well as seemed to conduct keep two-day-old texture from the get-go. 

The peanut butter buttercream was incredibly rich, fifty-fifty past times my tolerant standards, as well as licking the beaters was plenty to conduct keep me feeling bloated. The quantity hither seemed far likewise high: equally you lot tin run across inwards my photo, the buttercream looms equally tall equally the cake itself! (I wonder if this recipe was tested well, because the photograph accompanying the recipe shows real unlike proportions.)

Yet, somehow, these ii not-quite-right components came together to brand a pretty non bad cake. The Coca Cola didn't offering a distinct flavour, but the thick buttercream countered the dryness of the cake as well as it was real satisfying to swallow alongside a spoon. While this wasn't the novelty experience I hoped for, it was a comforting process equally nosotros lounged past times the burn alongside a jigsaw.

Coke & peanuts canvas cake
(a veganised version of a recipe at food52)

cake
500mL Coca-Cola
1 1/2 cups chocolate-brown sugar
3/4 loving cup cocoa powder
125g margarine, cutting into tablespoon-sized pats
three cups apparently flour
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

topping
1 1/2 cups polish peanut butter
225g margarine, softened
three cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons soy milk
3/4 loving cup peanuts (roasted as well as salted), chopped

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line a real large baking tray alongside newspaper as well as spray it alongside oil.

In a large saucepan, house together the cola, sugar, cocoa as well as margarine. Set it over medium oestrus as well as convey it to a high simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn off the oestrus when the margarine has melted as well as the saccharide has dissolved. Set the saucepan aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarb soda as well as salt. Pour inwards the still-warm cola as well as whisk until smooth. Pour the cake batter into the baking tray as well as bake until it passes the skewer test, 15-20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool earlier you lot H2O ice it.

Use an electrical mixer to crunch together the peanut butter as well as margarine. Gradually crunch inwards the icing sugar, as well as hence the tabular array salt as well as vanilla. Add a piddling soy milk to loosen texture of the buttercream if needed. Beat for an extra xx seconds afterwards everything is good combined. Spread the buttercream over the cake. Sprinkle over the peanuts, as well as land the cake to serve.

Artichoke & Chickpea Salad

September 9, 2018

This is a salad that we've been enjoying for several years, thank you lot to Smith & Daughters. It's been on a twosome of versions of their dinner together with brunch menu, together with it's every bit good in their cookbook. It's hearty together with hardy together with pickley together with only a chip toasted, something that industrial plant both every bit a side together with every bit a principal dish on its own. 

The master copy version pairs artichoke hearts amongst Jerusalem artichokes; I've gotten lazy nearly the root vegetable together with only role regular quondam potatoes instead. My ii other convenient pantry swaps are dried thyme instead of fresh, together with maple syrup instead of agave.

This is the 2nd or tertiary fourth dimension I've prepared it to portion at a friend's house. It's commonly tough plenty to move inwards its terminal serving state, but this i had a ii together with a one-half hr educate journeying betwixt prep together with presentation hence I got finicky together with packed many of the components separately. Rocket: inwards its ain bag. Almonds: lightly roasted hence jarred. Roasted potatoes together with paprika chickpeas sharing i lunchbox, charred artichoke hearts together with capers inwards another. Lemon-cumin dressing: jarred together with ready for a finally emulsifying milkshake earlier pouring. It was worth the endeavour to save all those textures, together with the entire salad was happily demolished inwards a sitting, making the educate trip domicile all the easier.

Artichoke & chickpea salad
(slightly adapted from Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse's Smith & Daughters Cookbook)

1 tin chickpeas
olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
modest handful of slivered almonds
500g potatoes
2 teaspoons dried thyme
400g tin artichoke hearts
45g capers
2 large handfuls rocket
tabular array salt together with pepper

dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 loving cup olive oil
tabular array salt together with pepper

Preheat an oven to 180°C.

Drain together with rinse the chickpeas, hence spread them out inwards a small-medium baking tray. Drizzle over the around olive oil, sprinkle inwards the paprika together with add together a petty salt. Stir good together with bake for 20-30 minutes (mine never actually crisp upward every bit promised).

This is a adept chance to toast the almonds inwards a carve upward modest baking dish. There's no withdraw for oil! Just go along an oculus on them to avoid burning - they'll alone attain got nearly five minutes.

Scrub the potatoes together with acre them into cubes, peel on. Place them inwards a large baking tray, drizzle them amongst olive oil, hence add together the thyme, addition around tabular array salt together with pepper. Toss everything together, hence bake the potatoes until tender, 30-40 minutes.

After the almonds are out of the oven together with cooling, There's likely plenty fourth dimension to brand the dressing. Place all of the ingredients inwards a lidded drinking glass jolt together with give them a thorough shake.

Drain together with lightly rinse the artichoke hearts, hence acre them into quarters. Lightly clothes them amongst olive oil, tabular array salt together with pepper. Set a frypan on high rut together with sear the artichokes on 1-2 sides. Remove the artichoke hearts. Drain the capers together with popular them into the pan for only a minute, until they pop.

When it's fourth dimension to serve, layer upward the rocket, potatoes together with chickpeas, artichokes together with capers, hence the almonds. Pour over the dressing together with lightly toss everything together if you lot attain got the space.

Simple

September 10 & 15, 2018

Regular readers volition last good aware that we've good as well as genuinely bought into the Ottolenghi hype. There are nearly seventy posts on hither based on Yotam recipes, thus nosotros were ever going to pounce on his novel mass when it turned upwards inwards the shops. Simple promises the best of both worlds - all the deliciousness of Ottolenghi's recipes without the overly involved processes as well as ingredients that brand them unsuitable for a schoolhouse night. We couldn't hold off to endeavor it out.

The offset recipe that caught our optic was tofu as well as French beans with chraimeh sauce. I couldn't tending but express mirth when ane of the offset steps inwards the recipe was toasting as well as hand-grinding some caraway seeds - only inwards an Ottolenghi recipe would this qualify every bit simple. To last fair, it really was pretty tardily as well as belike only takes one-half an hr to set together. I loved this uncomplicated mix of spicy tofu as well as crispy beans, but whatever subtlety inwards the sauce was a combat drowned out yesteryear our hot paprika - we'll soften the edges a combat side yesteryear side fourth dimension nosotros brand it.

We followed upwards with ane of the many recipes inwards Simple that appear a combat to a greater extent than similar a side than a standalone repast - Brussels sprouts with dark garlic. Again, dark garlic is a pricey, niche element as well as wouldn't plough upwards inwards besides many books pitched every bit tardily cooking, but this is Ottolenghi afterward all. We loved this - dark garlic has a rich, complex season that industrial plant brilliantly with the slightly caramelised sprouts. We served it upwards with fresh breadstuff as well as hummus, but it would move amongst almost anything.

So far, thus skilful with Simple - both of these dishes would last easily whipped upwards on a move nighttime as well as both really striking the mark. Don't instruct inwards expecting these recipes to really last simple, but they're definitely a pace downward from a lot of Yotam's recipes - we'll written report dorsum every bit nosotros endeavor more.

Tofu as well as French beans with chraimeh sauce
(from Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple)

500g beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

500g theatre tofu, cutting into 2cm cubes

15g coriander

salt

sauce

six garlic cloves

ii teaspoons hot paprika

1 tablespoon caraway seeds, lightly toasted as well as crushed inwards a mortar as well as pestle

ii teaspoons dry reason cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

three tablespoons sunflower oil

three tablespoons love apple tree paste

ii teaspoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

Get a medium saucepan of H2O boiling as well as add together the beans, cooking for v minutes until cooked but yet crunchy. Drain as well as refresh with mutual frigidity water.

Put the sunflower oil into a frying pan as well as little the tofu with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Give it a skilful 5-10 minutes - yous desire to instruct it overnice as well as golden on all sides. Remove from the pan as well as laid aside.

Make the sauce yesteryear mixing together the garlic, spices as well as oil inwards a little bowl. Add this mixture to a hot frying pan as well as little for nigh a minute. Add the love apple tree paste, sugar, lime juice as well as a teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine as well as and thus add together a loving cup of H2O to sparse the sauce out. Bring to the boil as well as laid upwards for a dyad of minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add the beans as well as laid upwards for some other infinitesimal as well as and thus kill the heat. Stir through the tofu as well as coriander as well as serve with rice.

Brussels sprouts with burnt butter as well as dark garlic

(from Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple)

450g Brussels sprouts, cutting inwards one-half lengthways

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

20g dark garlic

ii tablespoons thyme leaves

30g unsalted butter

30g pumpkin seeds, toasted

juice of a lemon

1 tablespoon tahini

salt

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Spread the sprouts out on a baking tray as well as sprinkle over a skilful milk tremble of salt. Drizzle with olive oil as well as smush merely about a combat thus the sprouts instruct overnice as well as oily. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Crush the caraway seeds inwards a mortar as well as pestle. Add the dark garlic as well as thyme as well as rhythm some to a greater extent than to brand a fossil oil paste.

Heat the butter inwards a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until melted as well as dark brown. Add the garlic paste, sprouts, pumpkin seeds as well as to a greater extent than salt. Stir for a infinitesimal as well as kill the heat. Stir through the lemon juice as well as drizzle the tahini over it all. Serve.

Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar

September 16, 2018

Located on the border of the University of Melbourne campus, I've passed Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar as well as non paid whatsoever attending to it on countless walks as well as tram rides. But it unexpectedly turned upwardly inward our recent googlings of youpo mian, as well as then nosotros stopped inward for an early on low-fuss dinner afterward watching a movie at Nova. It was surprisingly tough to claim 2 seats at 5:30pm!

As the eatery's refer suggests, this isn't actually a location for vegos. The one-page card starts amongst iii beef noodle soups, 2 beef noodles, as well as a mutual depression temperature noodle plate featuring - would yous believe it? - beef. Then there's the youpo noodle ($11.80), helpfully labelled every bit vegan inward greenish lettering! There seem to last a brace other veg options too, though they're non labelled: the 'capsiegg' noodle amongst soybean glue as well as a choice of sides.

I was determined non to social club the lesser veg dish for a third time, as well as then nosotros doubled downward on youpo. This i has the kudai/belt noodles nosotros missed at Xi'an Famous! And in that location was no shortage of garlic as well as oil. I liked the chilli level, as well as in that location was to a greater extent than to manus at our tabular array for Michael to dig into. In short, this had everything we've fondly recalled from the brace of youpo mian bowls nosotros enjoyed inward China! And all the to a greater extent than wonderful that nosotros tin revise the best noodle-pulling technique from the chefs patch nosotros wait.

We didn't dare imagine that we'd last accessing these noodles in i trial to a greater extent than as well as then easily inward Melbourne, but Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar also has outlets inward the metropolis as well as inward Caulfield every bit good every bit Carlton. They actually couldn't last to a greater extent than convenient.

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The entirely other spider web log review I've constitute is most the Caulfield outlet, on far fetched & fanciful.

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Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar
Shop 3, 743-751 Swanston St, Carlton (entry on Grattan St)
0452 596 756
menu
https://www.beefnoodle.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a shallow ramp on entry. Furniture is densely packed high tables amongst backless stools. We ordered as well as paid at a high counter. We didn't see the toilets.

True Northward Iii

September 22, 2018

We've been consistently enjoying lunches together with brunches (and fifty-fifty i trivia night) at True North for a few years now. We stopped inwards for tiffin concluding weekend on our way to the KFL supermarket, together with loved the hold off of TN's electrical flow menu! There's an entire carve upwardly page of vegan stuff, amongst gluten complimentary options marked throughout. It follows the same themes every bit we've seen before, loosely inspired yesteryear Mexican ingredients (jalapenos, dark beans, pico de gallo) together with diner staples (bagels, mac'n'cheese, white patato hash) amongst mock meats together with dairy scattered throughout.

I surprisingly looked beyond the Vulgar Display of Pancake to the Facon the Law ($16), a toasted corn brioche curlicue stuffed amongst jalapeno scrambled tofu, facon, tomato, vegan cheddar, avocado, relish together with rocket. It dripped juices everywhere, together with the perfectly ripe avocado got a fleck lost inwards the mix, but this was a mighty, squishy savoury joy.

Michael was but every bit delighted yesteryear the Blazin' Hash ($21), a huge plate containing one-half a roasted tomato, to a greater extent than of that jalapeno scrambled tofu, wilted spinach, chiptole BBQ mock duck, together with a golden-fried brick of the most exquisite white patato hash. 

I also wanna tip my chapeau to the drinks menu, which includes around lovely non-alcoholic options that aren't kombucha. It seems these folks brand their ain soda syrups, including a charming apple tree & rhubarb fizz ($5).

True North has achieved an impressive repose of however doing what it does best piece also keeping the carte du jour fresh. It agency we're however bursting to weblog it, fifty-fifty when our photos are overexposed together with the cafe is four-to-five years yesteryear its instagrammable launch date.

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You tin read nigh our previous visits to True North here together with here. Since together with thus it's received positive write-ups from little vegan bear, Veganopoulous and frenchtoastandindiepop.

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True North
2A Munro St, Coburg
9917 2262
vegan food, booze
https://www.truenortharcher.com/

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size pace on entry together with a pretty crowded interior (especially on the weekends when the stools at the bar are inwards use). We ordered at the tabular array together with pay at a high counter. The privy is a narrow non-gendered cubicle.

Yuba-Mushroom Cheesesteak Sandwiches

September 22, 2018

When we're inward the mood for an all-day nutrient project, we often turn to mock meat versions some Melbourne before.

What most appealed to me close this recipe is the role of layered edible bean curd sheets inward house of the meat. We don't select a lot of experience cooking amongst it as well as I was swell to examine it again. KFL Supermarket stocked numerous brands as well as forms, as well as nosotros picked ii to play some with. The outset were only sparse dried rectangles, as well as the 2d were thicker fried rings - I idea these latter ones mightiness endure a flake chewier as well as ameliorate at absorbing flavour.

Each part is a total recipe inward itself. First, there's a mushroomy stock where the veges are roasted for maximum flavour. You tin optionally fume the yuba, but nosotros only added a few teaspoons of liquid fume instead equally nosotros afterwards cooked it inward the stock. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 vegan cheese sauce gets its creaminess from blended simmered tater too equally cashews; it's spiced upwards amongst paprika, chipotles as well as jalapenos. Then there's onions like shooting fish in a barrel caramelised on the stovetop as well as to a greater extent than roasted mushrooms for the filling. It actually is an all-afternoon affair!

The 1 nitty-gritty hiccup for us was cooking the edible bean curd sheets. They're sparse as well as brittle, hard to spell into strips as well as and non amenable to beingness coated inward nighttime caramel equally the recipe suggests. Even in 1 trial the stock went in, I picked as well as prodded at the edible bean curds, adding a flake to a greater extent than H2O as well as trying to build certain each 1 had plenty fourth dimension submerged inward liquid to soften properly. I wonder if the ones used past times the Serious Eats squad had a unlike form.

The finished rolls were sloppy as well as savoury as well as rattling enjoyable! And leftovers that nosotros were glad to swallow for days. But nosotros didn't actually pick upwards on the many nuanced ingredients that went inward along the means - the stock was quite mild, the peppers barely perceptible, the mushrooms losing out to the book of edible bean curd inward the filling. Our minds are ticking over on a unlike version - less yuba (pre-soaked) as well as to a greater extent than mushrooms, sauteed inward vegan Worcestershire as well as oyster sauces, as well as perhaps 1 of our other creamier vegan sauces. At this phase we're boldly hoping that nosotros tin quarter the endeavour as well as perchance fifty-fifty dial upwards the flavour along the way.

Yuba-mushroom cheesesteak sandwiches
(slightly adapted from a recipe on Serious Eats)

mushroom stock
560g push mushrooms, brushed as well as quartered
1 onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic, roughly smashed
1 large carrot, cutting into large chunks
four ribs celery, cutting into large chunks
v tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato plant paste
1 tablespoon beef-style stock powder

cheese sauce
half dozen tablespoons sunflower oil
1 pocket-size onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño, seeds as well as ribs removed, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle pepper addition 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, all chopped finely
1 pocket-size potato, peeled as well as thinly sliced
1 loving cup roasted cashews
1/2 loving cup water
1/2 loving cup almond milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons pickling liquid from a jounce of jalapeños
salt

sandwich filling
2 onions, thinly sliced
half dozen tablespoons sunflower oil
200g manlike someone monarch oyster mushrooms, shredded lengthwise
tabular array salt as well as pepper
1/4 loving cup caster sugar
400g edible bean curd sheets (yuba), sliced into thick strips
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

half dozen long rolls

Start amongst the mushroom stock! Preheat an oven to 230°C. In a large bowl, mix together the mushrooms, onion, garlic, carrot as well as celery. Add four tablespoons of the fossil oil as well as the tabular array salt as well as toss everything together. Spread the veges out over ii baking trays as well as roast them, tossing them some every fifteen minutes, until they're nighttime brown, close 45 minutes total.

Set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of fossil oil as well as the tomato plant paste, cooking for upwards to v minutes, until nighttime brown. Add 1.5 litres of water, the roasted vegetables as well as the stock powder. Simmer everything together for 45 minutes. Strain out the solids as well as operate on the stock for the next steps.

Next, the cheese sauce. Pour the fossil oil into a medium-large saucepan as well as laid it over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic as well as jalapeño, as well as ready them, stirring regularly, until soft but non browned. Add the cumin, paprika, garlic pulverization as well as chipotle amongst sauce as well as ready for a farther a minute. Add the potatoes as well as cashews, as well as ready for 2 minutes. Add the H2O as well as almond milk as well as convey it all to the boil. Turn downwardly the oestrus as well as simmer until the potatoes are tender, close 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from the oestrus as well as add together the hot sauce, pickle juice as well as salt. Use a blender or spice grinder to build the smoothest sauce you lot tin (it's a tough inquire amongst all those tater chunks!).

Time to laid upwards the sandwich filling. In a pocket-size frypan, oestrus three tablespoons of fossil oil over low-medium heat. Add the onions as well as ready slowly, stirring regularly, until thoroughly caramelised, close thirty minutes. Set aside.

Get that oven dorsum upwards to 230°C. In a bowl, toss the remaining three tablespoons of fossil oil through the manlike someone monarch oyster mushrooms as well as flavor it all amongst tabular array salt as well as pepper. Spread them over a baking tray as well as roast until golden brown, upwards to xx minutes.

Go dorsum to your largest saucepan as well as laid it over high heat. Add the sugar, as well as ready it until melted as well as browning. Add the yuba strips and, if you lot can, stir them some to instruct them coated inward the caramel. Add the liquid smoke, paprika, garlic powder, as well as hence pour over the mushroom stock. Simmer, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has been absorbed past times the yuba, close 15-20 minutes. (We added some extra H2O as well as set the lid of for a flake to instruct the yuba steaming, earlier taking it off to allow liquid evaporate.) Turn off the oestrus as well as stir inward the mustard. Fold through the sauteed onions as well as roasted manlike someone monarch oyster mushrooms.

To assemble, spell each long whorl lengthways. Spread 1/4 loving cup of cheese sauce on the bottom one-half of each roll, pile upwards the yuba-mushroom filling as well as popular the overstep dorsum on.

The Reverence Hotel Iv

September 23, 2018

Last fourth dimension we visited The Rev, nosotros lamented that the for-sale signs powerfulness move forecasting its demise. Happily, xviii months later, they're even hence hosting alive music, trivia nights, taco Tuesdays as well as big veg-friendly pub meals all calendar week long. The carte du jour even hence follows the same themes - deep-fried everything, plenty of mock meat as well as vegan cheese, with lots of Mexican-ish meals amongst burgers as well as pizzas.

Unusually, it was Michael who picked out the fish burger ($18) - hither it's a dense battered mock-fillet layered with tartare sauce, beetroot relish, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles as well as onions, as well as hence a side of fries. It was rich, yet zero that Michael couldn't handle.

After some lengthy indecision as well as consultation, I picked out the smoked chicken pizza ($15) as well as shared to a greater extent than or less a dyad of slices. The base of operations had that uniform supermarket vibe, but the toppings were to a greater extent than lively: napoli as well as melty-enough cheese, mock chicken pieces, jump onion, pineapple as well as some rattling hot petty chilli rings, all drizzled with barbecue sauce.

I left plenty room to assist our friend Natalie out with those chocolate nachos ($15) that we'd previously noted on the menu. The concept is deeply questionable, but the execution is actually rattling impressive! The Rev kitchen convey worked cocoa as well as a petty carbohydrate into their flour tortilla dough, hence fried it upward into chips - these were topped with scoops of vegan icecream, crushed nuts, strawberry wedges as well as stripes of chocolate sauce. It's a fun, crunchy as well as rattling shareable sundae.

Though nosotros barely become inwards to the Rev to a greater extent than than in 1 trial a year, nosotros actually similar what they produce as well as it seems that plenty of locals do, too!

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You tin flame also read close one, two, three of our previous visits to The Rev.

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The Reverence Hotel
28 Napier St, Footscray
9687 2111
snacks, tacos, mains, burgers, pizza, dessert
http://www.reverencehotel.com

Accessibility: There's a modest pace at the (narrowish) forepart door, but the side door is apartment as well as wide. Inside things are fairly spread out, with at most modest steps betwixt the bar, side-room as well as courtyard. We ordered as well as paid at the bar, as well as didn't view the toilets.