January 14, 2007: Trotters

took accuse of dinner in addition to and then nosotros ate out for dessert: thus, I idea I'd plow the tables this fourth dimension yesteryear going out for luncheon in addition to preparing a dessert to savor afterwards at home. Once out on Lygon St, Mum swiftly picked out Trotters restaurant based on a glance at the menu. It was looking pretty crowded but a waitress said she'd opened upward up the minute level, where we'd accept enough of room in addition to a specials board all to ourselves.

The dish at the acme of this postal service is mum's "mushroom filled arancino crumbed & served on love apple tree amongst rocket & parmesan" ($13.50). This is similar an enormous risotto ball, amongst a centre of mushrooms:

It was rich, a fleck heavy, in addition to very, really tasty. Carol ordered "soft polenta amongst mushrooms in addition to pecorino cheese" ($14) from the specials board.

I didn't sense of savor it, but Carol idea this was cracking in addition to happily polished off the entire plate. This is high praise, given Carol's aversion to large helpings of anything: she's to a greater extent than of a grazer, equally Mum noted that day.

Michael's "spinach & ricotta filled agnolotti arrabbiata (spicy love apple tree sauce)" ($14.20) was the to the lowest degree exciting repast inwards the looks subdivision but, according to him, it easily made upward for it amongst a amount flavour.

While Mum in addition to Carol were starving, I was nonetheless feeling the effects of a heavy but tasty repast the nighttime before. Thus I took a peril on 1 of the smaller options, the bruschetta ($5):

This photographic television set camera angle doesn't emphasise the generous component subdivision I received: iii sizable pieces of sourdough toast, topped amongst upward to 2 tomatoes, diced. I oft respect sourdough a fleck tough, but the fleck of butter melted evenly into these slices ensured that wasn't the case. The parsley, garlic in addition to teensy fleck of cheese worked inwards subtle harmony, non overpowering the love apple tree at all. The tomatoes weren't of the finest quality, but I've struggled to respect whatsoever ameliorate than this for years. If anyone out at that topographic point tin recommend an outlet of red, flavoursome tomatoes inwards Melbourne, please, PLEASE endure out me a comment!

Ahem.

The iv of us entered Trotters amongst dissimilar appetites in addition to all walked out thoroughly satisfied in addition to non also out of steal (especially me, 'cause Michael paid for my meal). Although its offerings are omnivorous, our iv meat-free dishes demo merely how spoilt for choice a vegetarian tin be, amongst several of the specials also beingness meat-free. Highly recommended for a casual cafe-style meal.

Address: 400 Lygon St, Carlton
Ph: 9347 5657
Fully licensed
Price: veg mains $5-15
Website: http://www.trotters.com.au/

January 28, 2007: 1 Carusi

food bloggers. It's hard to explicate why it's taken this long to view an affordable eating theater such a brusk tram-ride from our home! But it has, together with fifty-fifty similar a shot it has taken a decisive minute from Jo-Lyn - spell sharing a repast of Mike's incredible home-made gnocchi - for the booking to move made.

January 30, 2007: Penne Amongst Roasted Eggplant, Peppers Together With Parmesan Cheese

A quick scan of the pasta department of The Bold Vegetarain Cookbook on Tuesday morning time turned upwards this fairly delicious sounding recipe. Cindy too I aren't averse to eating eggplant, but I don't think we'd e'er roasted it earlier too that, along alongside the hope of pino nuts too cheese, was plenty to brand this recipe our repast for the night. Of score I didn't actually read the recipe inwards the morning time too hence I was a fiddling surprised that it all took hence long to prepare. Luckily, it was generally worth it, alongside the blended eggplant too capsicum sauce too the fresh oregano making for a tasty repast - of score if I'd remembered to tip the toasted pino nuts into the mix, it would belike convey been fifty-fifty better.

Penne alongside roasted eggplant, peppers too feta cheese*
*we replaced the feta alongside parmesan, mainly because nosotros had a proficient sized chunk of parmesan inwards the fridge, but I think it was belike a improve flavour to combine alongside the other ingredients anyway.

500g eggplant (I used three smallish eggplants, but I've no sentiment how much they weighed)
1/4 loving cup pino nuts
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 roasted blood-red capsicums
300g penne
1/4 loving cup crumbled parmesan
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano
fresh lemon juice
salt too pepper

The first, too most time-consuming, stride is to roast the eggplants. Pre-heat the oven to close 200 degrees too pierce each eggplant a few times. Place the eggplants on an oven tray too stick them inwards the oven, turning occasionally. After close an hr the eggplant should endure really soft - it volition basically collapse if yous hand it a gentle squeeze. At this point, it's done. Take the eggplants out too allow them cool.

In the meantime, toast the pino nuts inwards a dry out frying pan until they're lightly browned. When they're done, laid them aside somewhere, but don't forget all close them.

In the frying pan, ready the onion too garlic inwards one-half of the olive fossil oil for close 5 minutes, until it's lightly browned.

By now, the eggplants should convey cooled, hence yous tin cutting them inwards one-half too scoop out the delicious innards (the cookbook, strangely, calls this 'the meat').

Combine the eggplant innards, the peppers, the onion too garlic too the residue of the olive fossil oil inwards a nutrient processor. Just pulse them a few times, yous don't desire a completely smoothen paste, rather a overnice chunky consistency.

At this signal it's pasta cooking fourth dimension - everyone belike has their ain methods for cooking pasta, hence I'm non going to endure likewise specific. If yous similar tabular array salt or fossil oil inwards your boiling water, too then larn correct ahead. When the pasta is almost ready, gently reheat the chunky sauce inwards a frypan or saucepan. Once the pasta is done, drain it inwards a colander too combine it alongside the sauce. Stir inwards the cheese too oregano, flavor alongside tabular array salt too pepper too pinnacle alongside a splash of the lemon juice.