March 14, 2008: Friday Featre Nutrient - Ruddy Pepper

Mellie lately recommended them to us, hence Michael in addition to I met upwardly at that spot for an early on dinner inward 36-degree weather condition earlier our 2d nighttime at the theatre. Green Pepper was unopen hence nosotros were faced amongst a selection betwixt Jaipur in addition to Red Pepper. We picked the latter because I knew it was 1 of the Peppers that offered Mellie's favourite naans. It was the incorrect Pepper but never heed - the naans hither were great!

Red Pepper is inward fact a sis eating home to Green Pepper, which powerfulness explicate why nosotros encountered fantabulous naans in addition to rudimentary service eerily like to what Mellie described. The atmosphere is no to a greater extent than sophisticated than a cafeteria - describe of piece of employment upwardly to companionship from the distich of menus or the chalkboard of specials, in addition to then accept a lay out in addition to a spot at a vacant table. If you're lucky the tabular array volition endure wiped in addition to there'll endure a few napkins inward a holder, but don't count on it!

Red Pepper is clearly pop amongst the local Indian community. As nosotros sat downwards at our ain napkin-less in addition to not-yet-wiped table, nosotros noticed that nosotros were the alone white kids inward the shop. I remembered, then, that the bill of fare didn't offering entire descriptions of dishes inward English. Although the meat type is identified, it volition assistance to know your aloo from your vindaloo.

Neither of us could contend the curry-and-two-naans specials. As already mentioned, the naans are fantastic, arriving fresh in addition to hot in addition to crispy. I chose the malai kofta ($9, pictured above) in addition to received 2 sizable koftas inward a sauce the equal of whatever I've slurped inward Melbourne. As I write this, Michael is drooling over the retention of his paneer tikka masala ($10, pictured below). Both plates came amongst a 'salad' of a few raw onion rings in addition to a loving cup of I-don't-know-what: its consistency was that of watered-down milk in addition to it was a flake tangy. An unfamiliar lassi? I dunno, but it wasn't quite to my taste.

I'm no practiced on these things, but all signs request to Red Pepper offering authentic northward Indian food. But I've seen in addition to tasted all I postulate to proclaim the toll is definitely right! You'll instruct in addition to fast in addition to tasty feed here.

Address: xiv Bourke St, Melbourne CBD
Ph: 9654 5714
Licensed & BYO wine
Price: veg mains $5-10
Website: www.redpepperindianrestaurant.com

giving me the mixer was a no-brainer;

I'd live assist a belated birthday dinner for Marty midweek;

We owed Tracy together with Lee thank you lot for lending us camping ground gear for Golden Plains; and

Mike's birthday was equally good coming up!

With this much going on, I decided to brand a double batch of chewy chocolate-raspberry cookie sammiches from last fourth dimension I used it;

I replaced the shortening inwards the icing amongst to a greater extent than margarine, since I couldn't detect it (nor copha) at the shops;

I replaced the soy milk amongst rice milk.

My results were mixed. I don't intend the crude oil type made whatever departure to the cookie dough, together with I was happy to escape the perfume of bitter almond. However my cookies, i time cooled, were crunchy together with non chewy, genuinely quite difficult on the teeth! (By hence I'd baked the entire mix together with couldn't modify my baking times.) I went to simply about endeavor non to overcook these (I whipped them out of the oven earlier the bases could colour upwards at all) hence I tin solely emphasise that they request real footling oven fourth dimension at all.

Margarine doesn't bring the firmness of butter, together with hence this icing doesn't harden from its just-whipped spreadable state. As a consequence, it struggles to back upwards the superlative cookie during storage together with eating. Squishy, fifty-fifty melting, icing everywhere! I suspect that using simply about shortening or copha would amend on this. As it was, I tended to H2O ice the correct pose out of cookie sandwiches a few hours earlier giving them away, hence popping them inwards the freezer to theatre upwards earlier boxing them upwards simply earlier I dashed out the door. It was a reasonably successful strategy.

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March 15, 2008: Movida

Hell's Kitchen, as well as hence squashed into MoVida's entry for a farther fifteen minutes or hence earlier our tabular array was ready. This was plenty of fourth dimension to instruct a experience for the infinite - depression lights, lots of noise, as well as exclusively a few staff chop-chop as well as capably attention tables. In fact, the feller receiving us at the door provided almost all of the service to our high bar tabular array that night. Ours was a small-scale space, amongst just barely plenty room to gibe our food, but at to the lowest degree it forced us to sit down closed as well as made it easier to listen each other.

I took photos, but they were my most hopeless yet! Instead of inflicting them upon you lot I shout out upward the carte du jour descriptions volition create - the presentation was really rustic as well as unpretentious as well as I'm certain you lot tin imagine it good enough. It'll brand the experience to a greater extent than authentic, given that nosotros could barely encounter the nutrient ourselves inward the dim surrounds!

Croqueta ($3 each) - fried silky croquettes filled amongst mushrooms. These were sizable balls amongst a golden-fried crumb coating. Inside was similar molten mushrooms! Silky indeed.

Patatas a la pobre ($9.50) - 'poor mans potatoes', boring cooked nicola potatoes amongst peppers inward olive oil. These enormous Irish Gaelic patato chunks were tender all the way through amongst an incredible depth of flavour. The roasted peppers as well as dressing added just the correct acidic contrast. The traditional lift is forthwith something of a misnomer given their richness as well as price.

Setas asado con jerez ($9.50) - oven roasted portabello mushrooms finished amongst sherry vinegar. Huge as well as boozy, a expert complement to the potatoes as well as to the rich meats the other 2 were eating.

Expinacos con garbanzos ($9) - sauteed spinach amongst chickpeas as well as spices. Another flavoursome dish, though belike my to the lowest degree favourite of the night. But facial expression at its competition!

Ensalada valenciana ($8) - Valencian salad, endive, orange, palm hearts as well as manzanillo olives. This added much-needed lightness as well as freshness. The palm hearts were a novel vegetable for me as well as reminded me most of artichoke hearts.

The dessert carte du jour is splashed across the wall inward chalk, as well as it must guide keep been looking at it over my caput all nighttime that inspired Michael to gild his ain dessert rather than sharing i amongst me. He picked the hot ganache pudding w vanilla edible bean ice-cream ($12.50). It was the rich molten chocolate experience you'd expect. I don't guide keep much to nation nearly my churros amongst hot chocolate ($9) either - piece I enjoyed them, I wasn't just wowed. I shout out upward it but way that I'm to a greater extent than a fan of intensely cocoa-y experiences than this milder, to a greater extent than carb-laden dessert. Pass me the 70% Lindt!

Movida isn't actually the house for a outset appointment or a sedate dinner amongst your parents - much ameliorate to crowd inward amongst your to a greater extent than refined buddies as well as comfortably lunge across the tabular array to assistance yourself to the tempting tapas just out of reach. Clearly, then, nosotros were in that place for the correct occasion as well as birthday man child Mike did relish the nutrient immensely. In spite of the small-scale discover of staff on the flooring nosotros received first-class service as well as I didn't discovery the prices to endure excessive. There is plenty for a vegetarian to enjoy, though the eating theater sells a lot of meat products. For this argue I wouldn't especially recommend MoVida for a vego's ain special nighttime out, but I tin happily encourage you lot to guide keep a friend's invitation every bit nosotros did.

Address: 1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne CBD
Ph: 9663 3038
Fully licensed
Price: veg tapas $3-$10, dessert $9-$13
Website: www.movida.com.au

March 15-16, 2008: A Fry Place

Fitzroy, Carlton, North Fitzroy, Carlton North, Brunswick East too Brunswick too there's a long list of places still awaiting our A Minor Place tucked away inwards Brunswick betwixt Lygon Street too Sydney Road. And so nosotros decided, similar Homer Simpson earlier us, we're doing it twice.

There's actually non much else on Albion Street, so Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Minor Place seems to depict inwards all the gentrifying folk inwards the neighbourhood for a morn java or a seize amongst teeth to eat, important that, yesteryear the fourth dimension 9:30 rolls around, things are getting pretty full. We snaffled i of the outdoor milk-crate tables on our outset trip too squeezed a grouping of vi simply about i of the slightly to a greater extent than comfortable within tables on the Sunday. There's a specially potent need for their coffee, amongst locals staggering inwards bleary-eyed too so stumbling off abode amongst a latte-loaded tray, so the obligatory flat-white takes a spell to plow up. Luckily it's worth the wait, a smooth caffeine boot that basically demands you lot social club a second.

dinner that we'd lastly visited, their enthusiasm took over too they insisted nosotros provide for a 2nd shot on Lord's Day morning. Neither of us were complaining.

Cindy decided that, betwixt the New York bagel too the churros, she'd had her create total of unhealthy nutrient for the weekend, too settled for the Bircher muesli ($7). The muesli came out inwards a tall glass, which looks fantastic, but makes it harder to distribute the berries throughout the muesli mix. I squall back she actually enjoyed the outset third, was quite happy amongst the middle third, but a combination of fullness too lack of multifariousness meant that the bottom 3rd was a piddling disappointing. That's what you lot larn for trying to live healthy.

I turned to the specials bill of fare too ordered the caramelised onion too feta scrambled eggs on toasted wholegrain ($10.50). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 combination of my hunger too the olfactory holding of the onion-flecked eggs meant that I temporarily lost my hear too pigeon inwards earlier I'd taken a photo. Just when I'd started boasting to friends that I'd lastly been trained to hold off until the photographic tv set camera was off earlier disturbing the food. Ah well. As you lot tin laissez passer notice come across from the wreckage of my breakfast, at that topographic point was enough of soft, sugariness onion throughout my eggs too the occasional chunk of feta. I'm non unremarkably a big scrambled eggs fan, but these flavours worked good together too I polished it off inwards no time.

A Minor Place is some other of the trendy, slightly cooler-than-thou places that are scattered across Brunswick - the service was friendly too reasonably efficient, the bill of fare every bit veg-friendly every bit we've come upwardly across for brekkie too the nutrient was first-class across the board. Now that I've spent x minutes linking to all the places we've yet to take in I'm non certain that we'll live dorsum at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Minor Place inwards the virtually future, but that's a production of this area's riches rather than whatever flaws inwards the cafe itself.

Address: 103 Albion Street, Brunswick
Ph: 9384 3131
Price: $3.50 - $14.50

March 16, 2008: Tokyo Treats - Korean Kim Chi Chocolate

chilli-chocolate cupcakes at Inkari). I rather liked this explosive niggling package, together with was fifty-fifty a niggling disappointed that I couldn't honour a shot of vinegar.

March 17, 2008: Tokyo Treats - Pocky

Folks who've wandered roughly an Asian supermarket hither inwards Commonwealth of Australia should hold out no strangers to Pocky. These chocolate-coated pretzel sticks are crunchy, only a lilliputian salty, as well as incorporate non quite plenty smoothen dark-ish chocolate to sate me, causing me to consume to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than as well as MORE. Just also they're divided into 2 sachets inside the box, or I'd complete the lot inwards a sitting.

Note that Pocky is well-nigh probable NOT fully vegetarian - translations of the part listing betoken that they incorporate shortening. We ate, nosotros enjoyed but nosotros won't seek them out again.

March 18, 2008: To A Greater Extent Than Muesli

more than a twelvemonth ago. It came every bit no surprise to me that I would lose involvement inwards it, in addition to inwards detail the fourth dimension required in 1 lawsuit every calendar week or 2 to hover some the oven for an hr at a stretch piece it cooked. But I came dorsum to it a brace of months agone in addition to bring hitting on a winning formula, which I'm going to complaint downwards hither for futurity reference. After all, I am going to larn sick of all that oven-hovering in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than 1 solar daytime in addition to forget the procedure piece I'm at it.

If you're interested inwards trying this recipe, survive warned that it's non sugariness granola past times whatever stretch. It's golden in addition to crunchy when I larn the oven times right, but I've shied away from using whatever fossil oil or potent sweeteners for my daily breakfast. I notice that some canned fruit does that project nicely - all I'm afterwards hither is that filling nutty crunch. If y'all similar dried fruit don't bake it at all, simply stir it into the cooled toasted muesli mix.

The muesli pictured to a higher house uses hazelnuts in addition to pepitas. This breakfast is proving to survive an fantabulous means to purpose upward stray half-packets of nuts in addition to seeds that I've bought for other recipes.

Muesli

4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups fruit juice (I normally purpose the juice from a jounce of fruit, strained)
1 teaspoon of reason spice (optional)
1 loving cup nuts, chopped
1/4 loving cup seeds

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. Stir together the rolled oats in addition to juice inwards a bowl in addition to let them to represent 10-15 minutes, until the oats bring soaked upward all the liquid.

Spread the oats evenly over a build clean baking tray in addition to sprinkle over the spices if you're using them. The oats demand to survive baked for almost 45 minutes inwards total. Take them out of the oven every 10 minutes to stir them around, suspension upward the clumps in addition to ensure they're non sticking to the tray. At the thirty infinitesimal mark, stir inwards the nuts. At the twoscore infinitesimal mark, stir inwards the seeds.

The muesli should survive golden chocolate-brown amongst quite some mash but a small-scale amount of chew to it. Serve it sprinkled over fruit in addition to yoghurt.

March 20, 2008: Los Amates Iii

Blue Chillies, Red Rice too De Los Santos equally ideas - but Cindy had gear upwardly her midpoint on a repeat see to Los Amates.

We've tried to provide a few times inwards the final half-dozen months, exclusively to honor it booked out or closed, too then the chance to plough upwardly equally they were opening too snag a tabular array was also proficient to exceed up. As it turned out, they didn't appear especially busy at all - past times the fourth dimension nosotros left at eight or so, one-half the tables were withal vacant - mayhap things convey died off a little. Cindy too I settled into the long weekend amongst cocktails: fresh strawberry margaritas, all pinkish too icy ($10.50). We'd previously sampled the vego tasting plate too the enchiladas combo, but this fourth dimension nosotros express our sharing to the entree from the specials menu: quesadillas de flor de calabaza ($9.80), zucchini bloom too cheese quesadillas amongst homemade corn tortillas, served amongst salsa noja too guacamole.

Blue Corn is the Mexican identify of selection for Melbourne vegos.

Read almost our previous visits to Los Amates here too here.