April 18, 2007: Crunchy Chewy Chocolate Clusters

we entertained Beth inwards our home, the run a jeopardy daughter did or thence serious harm to her human foot spell stone climbing! She'll move stuck inwards infirmary for several weeks, amongst surgical procedure together with months of recovery to come. After hearing the tidings on Tuesday afternoon, a pocket-size delegation was swiftly organised to view her for luncheon on Midweek - obviously the infirmary nutrient is depressingly bland. As I walked domicile on Tuesday evening, I racked my encephalon for or thence pocket-size but flavour-packed offering that I could throw together without likewise much fuss. H5N1 most successful solution came from ingredients already inwards the closet after I made a crucial connectedness betwixt Beth's habitual work-time snacking on dried fruits together with the purse of dried cherries that I impulsively purchased at the Queen Vic markets together with had nonetheless to use. Combined amongst pistachios together with black chocolate, I would move guaranteed fiddling mouthfuls of vibrant colour; crunchy, chewy together with smoothen textures; tart sweetness, rich cocoa together with a hint of the exotic. One gustation (for enquiry purposes, you lot understand!) confirmed that every bit long every bit these dried cherries are available, my human relationship amongst the Cherry Ripe bar is over. I've moved on together with I'm seeing mortal else now! He mightiness non move every bit well-groomed, but he's got a lot to a greater extent than substance. It mightiness bring been the morphine talking, but Beth was only every bit intrigued together with later won over. She fifty-fifty detected the hint of rose!

Crunchy chewy chocolate clusters

100g black chocolate
2/3 loving cup pistachios
1/3 loving cup dried cherries
a pinch of salt
1/3 loving cup dessicated coconut
a drib of rosewater

Gently melt the chocolate inwards a saucepan. While it's melting, combine the pistachios, cherries together with tabular array salt inwards a bowl. When the chocolate's cook add together the rosewater together with stir through the coconut. Finally mix through the cherries together with pistachios.

Cover a baking tray amongst foil together with drib teaspoons-full of the mixture onto it. Use a 2nd teaspoon to force the stray bits together if you lot postulate to. Refrigerate the clusters for most an hour, or only freeze 'em for 10 minutes if you're inwards a rush.

Store these inwards a cool identify thence they don't melt but don't worry likewise much - they'll move gobbled upward pretty quick!

April 24, 2007: Kingaroy

harira soup concluding nighttime - its peppery warmth was simply the nourishment my wearisome tastebuds in addition to small-scale appetite needed. Furthermore, we've been meme-tagged yesteryear the Gourmand (of the nutrient weblog Eat Me!), in addition to then there's at to the lowest degree i to a greater extent than post service to come upwards every bit my honey of all things edible recovers.

5 Things Nearly (Him And) Me

Paul lately tagged us for a "5 Things About Me" meme. He cheekily handed the chore of selecting 5 things nearly him over to his partner, too Mike provided a most pithy profile of the gourmand. We've decided to appropriate this persuasion too write 5 things nearly each other.

Here are 5 things you lot mightiness non already know nearly Michael:

1. Michael's CV boasts 3 degrees: inwards maths, information technology too criminology.

2. The origin repast that he cooked for me was a huge wok-full of noodles, chicken, veges, peanut butter, too a sachet of curry paste. This was his signature dish too he was secretly disappointed at the lukewarm reply it received from me. I was but trying to croak along my watering eyes inwards cheque - I was no check for the chilli oneupmanship that goes on inwards a sharehouse of 20-something males. Still, a human being who cooks at all is pretty attractive, right? He's since refined his fashion but notwithstanding provides most of the enthusiasm (and labour) for the hearty and/or spicy meals on our table: one-pot wonders, curries, Mexican, too the like.

3. Much to my bewilderment, Michael's a sport lover. He thoroughly enjoys a social game of soccer or netball, too has been known to ascension early on (3am early) to lookout adult man a soccer or cricket game inwards some other fourth dimension zone.

4. Michael's most hated foods are fresh tomatoes too bananas. His love apple tree tolerance has gradually developed to sauces, sun-dried too the occasional sandwich but there's been no shift on the banana front. Consequently they rarely motility into our household at all.

5. Contrary to pop assumption, Michael decided to larn vegetarian earlier I did. (Seems similar it's the sort of bleeding-heart matter girls do, too and so smashing their boyfs into...?) He challenged himself to attempt it for 5 weeks too and so didn't stop. I followed his Pb nearly a calendar month later.

So, to render the favour: 5 things you lot don't know nearly Cindy:

1. Cindy has a PhD. Unfortunately, she makes scant purpose of her impressive title, leaving it to me to mass flights too things for Dr Cindy.

2. Cindy is a weird eater. There are all kinds of rules past times which her eating is governed: fizzy drinks exclusively larn amongst obese foods, pasta too salad must move to go inwards classify tiffin boxes, java tin dismiss exclusively survive consumed amongst chocolate. And so on. Most weird of all though, is her obsession amongst eating neatly. On i of our earliest outings together, I sat too watched Cindy painstakingly alternative at a piece of cheesecake so that it ever looked similar it had but been served up. There was nary a bump or chunk missing anywhere, strictly require lines. After watching this for some fourth dimension (another thing: Cindy eats to a greater extent than tardily than anyone I've ever known), I took my fork too mashed her cake upward a bit. Not a wise move. I honestly retrieve she didn't taste the residuum of the cake at all. Weird.

3. Cindy's vegetarianism (while copied off me) brought her into describe of piece of job amongst the way most people saw her anyway. I've lost count of the pose out of people who've met Cindy too somehow decided that she was vego. It used to come about amongst startling regularity. At to the lowest degree instantly their assumptions don't brand an donkey out of anyone.

4. Contrary to our inner-city, latte-sipping lifestyles, Cindy doesn't similar olives. I've been working on her for years, but fifty-fifty a tapenade is plenty to plough her off. Other nutrient phobias: uncooked onion too uncooked mushrooms (despite an almost pathological honey of cooked mushrooms).

5. Cindy is a talented (if currently inactive) painter - at that topographic point are at to the lowest degree iii of her pictures adorning the walls of our house. She's tried to pigment pictures of me twice, but I can't sit down notwithstanding for long plenty without falling asleep, so they're both of me inwards the country of nod (I wonder if it but agency she doesn't know how to pigment eyes? Hmmm.)

We won't tag anyone else inwards particular, but delight bring together inwards if you lot experience so inclined too give us a link to your post. I'd honey to know at to the lowest degree 5 to a greater extent than things nearly you!

April 28, 2007: Turkish Delight

Lemon Zucchini inwards Olive Oil together with Turkish Lentil Balls (see links for the total recipes).

The whole procedure was quite fourth dimension consuming, especially because I'm non big on multi-tasking. I'm certain I could convey laid the vegies upward to laid upward together with hence made the lentil balls spell they were simmering away, but that's non how I create things. I firstly at the firstly together with move all the agency through to the end. So yesteryear the fourth dimension I'd cooked the lentils together with the onions, stirred through the bulghur, tomato plant glue together with spices, a expert one-half hr had passed together with I hadn't fifty-fifty started on the zuchs. I mucked upward the recipe for the vegies slightly yesteryear halving the entire recipe except for the zucchini, which likely threw the remainder out slightly. Still, subsequently to a greater extent than or less other one-half an hr or hence of vegie cooking, it was all laid upward to go. Cindy chipped inwards yesteryear lightly toasting to a greater extent than or less Turkish breadstuff together with the repast was complete.

The lentil balls were quite tasty, but I intend I may convey enjoyed them a footling to a greater extent than if we'd eaten them fresh from the stove - or peradventure given them a quick plough inwards the child pan earlier serving them up. Still, they were remarkably slow patties to brand and, amongst a footling tweaking of the spices (I'd add together inwards something amongst a chip to a greater extent than oestrus - chilli or cayenne), these could come upward inwards handy every bit business office of a Turkish feast. The vegies were too a success - the stone oil together with lemon juice combined good together with the thoroughly cooked vegetables were soft together with flavoursome. With the breadstuff on manus to mop upward the oily run-off together with the lentil patties to supply to a greater extent than or less bulk, I was pretty happy amongst this Turkish experiment.

April 28, 2007: Pumpkin As Well As Spelt Muffins

Probably the biggest in addition to baddest eating temptation inwards my routine is mid-afternoon at work. The mensuration slows downwardly in addition to every bit the hours plod on, I start thinking nearly the fat-laden snacks at the FoodWorks no to a greater extent than than 50 paces from my desk. While at that spot is certainly a psychological chemical gene to my cravings, I am often really hungry past times 4:00 in addition to I need to swallow to hold those lastly threads of concentration. Thus, I'm often on the scout for recipes in addition to snacks that I tin gear upwards in addition to pack from dwelling identify that'll minimise the harm done. Muffins receive got oftentimes popped upwards every bit a possible solution but they're unremarkably really cakey in addition to sweet, non much amend than the chocolate bar I'm most tempted by! Trust the super-natural Heidi from 101 Cookbooks to acquaint me amongst an alternative, amongst a recipe taken from Homegrown Pure in addition to Simple past times Michel Nischan.

The photograph of Heidi's batch had the austere in addition to no-frills await I sought to emulate, hinting at lots of fibre in addition to piddling sugar. The inclusion of pureed pumpkin gave me promise that at that spot would all the same live closed to smoothen sweetness to enjoy. My batch, past times contrast, turned out to live glutinous in addition to spongy piddling critters, non at all dry out or humourless. They're pretty tasty, but I in all probability won't reproduce them inwards their master copy assort because they accept a lot of fourth dimension in addition to a lot of dishes! If you lot bother to read the recipe properly earlier commencement (I didn't) you'll realise why: non solely gain you lot receive got to roast the pumpkin, but you lot receive got to cut back a litre of apple tree juice to a syrup of solely a quarter of a cup. That took me nearly an hr in addition to a half. It's really quite a revelation to gustatory modality in addition to play amongst this syrup in addition to if you're curious, don't allow me dissuade you lot from attempting it! But for a weekday muffin an equal quantity of honey, golden syrup or maple syrup volition sure gain the job. The other nuisance mensuration is the separation of eggs, in addition to the gentle folding inwards of the fluffy whites. To live honest, this afternoon grazer couldn't really divulge the peppercorns, cinnamon or coriander seeds inwards the terminal product. My hereafter adaption of this recipe would in all probability role maple syrup, closed to solid lay down cinnamon in addition to a pinch of nutmeg.

Pumpkin in addition to spelt muffins
(Heidi made 12 muffins, I got xix small-scale cupcakes out of this quantity)

10 dark peppercorns (Heidi said 8, but 10 popped into my mitt in addition to I wasn't going to mail the lastly ii back)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 cups apple tree juice
500g pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed in addition to chopped into cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 loving cup raw sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 loving cup apple tree puree
1/4 loving cup sunflower oil
4 egg whites
2 cups spelt flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Put the peppercorns, cinnamon sticks in addition to coriander seeds inwards a saucepan over medium to high oestrus for a few minutes, tossing until fragrant. Take them off the oestrus for one-half a minute, hence pour inwards the apple tree juice. Return it to the oestrus in addition to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a 1/4 loving cup of syrup. (This took me nearly 1 1/2 hours.)

While the juice is simmering, spread the pumpkin cubes inwards a baking tray in addition to sprinkle amongst the initiative of all teaspoon of salt. Bake until tender, twenty to xxx minutes.

When the juice is reduced, force it through a fine seive in addition to discard the spices. Puree the cooked pumpkin in addition to the reduced juice inwards a nutrient processor.

In a divide large bowl, crunch the saccharide in addition to egg yolks together for a few minutes, until low-cal in addition to fluffy. Stir inwards the apple tree puree, crude oil in addition to pumpkin puree until only combined.

Make sure your beaters are construct clean in addition to dry, hence crunch the egg whites inwards yet closed to other bowl until foamy but non quite at the soft summit stage.

Got whatsoever bowls left? You need 1 more, inwards which to combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda in addition to 2nd teaspoon of salt. Gradually add together it to the cake batter stir, in 1 lawsuit again until solely only mixed. Gently flexure inwards the egg whites.

Lightly grease a muffin tray or trace it amongst patty cases. Spoon the batter into the cups until 3/4 full. Bake for xxx to forty minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

April 29, 2007: The Expert Shepherd's Circus Pie Classic

I dearest stone as well as coil as well as I dearest food. If entirely at that spot was some means to combine the two. Oh wait, at that spot is! Lord's Day evening's entertainment, billed every bit "A Rock 'n' Roll Cook Off for Charity", was a sort of Iron Chef for Melbourne's indie stone elite. Devised every bit a fund raiser for Good Shepherd Youth as well as Family Service, the upshot pulled together Melbourne musicians, media personalities as well as nutrient journalists for a surreal eventide of fun at The Corner Hotel.

The basic construction of the eventide involved 4 teams of v 'celebrities' each, ii savoury cook-offs as well as a dessert challenge betwixt ii oestrus winners to detect out whose cuisine reigned supreme. But the basic construction doesn't do justice to the chaotic, noisy as well as hilarious evening.

We arrived to a moderately busy band room, alongside the ii stages laid up: a minor ane scattered alongside amps, mics as well as drum kits as well as a big ane alongside a makeshift kitchen, overhead mirrors to give the crowd a practiced sentiment of the activity as well as a clever apron collage for wallpaper.

After a food-themed D.J. laid (my personal highlight: Cherry Pie past times Warrant), Helen Razer (our cough-medicine addled host for the evening) took control, introducing her swain commentators: Clem Bastow (Inpress, The Age etc) as well as Matt Preston (Epicure, Melbourne Food as well as Wine Festival). The rules were explained: each oestrus would pit ii teams against each other for one-half an hour's fiercely competitive cooking producing at to the lowest degree 3 courses for judging. All of which had to contain... the cloak-and-dagger ingredient.

To larn the start oestrus underway, Helen introduced the start ii teams, pitting a vegan-friendly Team 1 (Lindsay 'The Doctor' MacDougall as well as Macromantics plus 3 non-vegans) against Team 2, ably led past times Lisa Miller alongside back upward from members of Mach Pelican, Dallas Crane as well as The Meanies. After a minute of well-orchestrated suspense, the cloak-and-dagger component subdivision for battle #1 was revealed: mushrooms!

As the cooking got underway, Little Red outburst into some assort of amalgam of The Strokes as well as The Jackson Five. Our attending was divided betwixt the band as well as the kitchen, but the refer of dumplings from Team 1 caught it as well as had me cheering on Macromantics as well as the gang. The alert went off and, afterwards some frantic plating, the dishes were ready to hold out served upward to the judges: John Lethlean from The Age, Cath Claringbold from Mecca Bah as well as Andrew McConnell from Three One Two).

I imagine it's some fourth dimension since these 3 gourmets ate nutrient prepared inwards such a haphazard manner, but they gamely tucked into their feasts. From Team 1: shitake sugariness soy stir-fry, Macro-dumpings as well as chocolate shitake surprise, piece from Team 2: a suite of dishes dubbed 'Blitzkrieg Wok' including a mushroom penne as well as a twain of other dishes lost to the mists of time. According to the judges, squad 1 produced both the best dish (Macro-dumplings) as well as nearly inedible endeavour (choc-shitake surprise). Unfortunately for them, the 'surprise' was plenty to toll them the match, alongside the judges unanimously pronouncing Lisa Miller's Team 2 the winners of oestrus 1.

A brief recess for to permit everyone larn their breath dorsum (and to allow the kitchen-roadies some cleaning time) followed, alongside Joelistics from TZU providing the music. Heat 2 followed, as well as out came the big guns of stone 'n' coil cooking: Team 3 was led past times Dan Kelly, whose pre-rock career-path included a stint cooking at Claypots, piece Team 4 boasted Rebecca Barnard - formerly of Rebecca's Empire as well as a cooking spot on JJJ. The cloak-and-dagger component subdivision for oestrus #2: the less veg-friendly chicken.


This fourth dimension when the cooking started nosotros moved across to the stone phase to sense SixFtHick - terrifying Brisbane rockers who cause got no abide by for the comfortable business betwixt the audience as well as the performers. Fronted past times brothers Ben as well as Geoff Corbett, the demo was chock total of insanity: prowling, screaming as well as kicking their means through short, precipitous bursts of rock. As the clock ran downwards on oestrus #2, the 'Hick injure things upward alongside a Queensland cocktail: a stubby tipped into a cowboy boot, shaken as well as poured downwards audience members' throats from on high.

I'm non certain how people manage alongside a total SixFtHick demo - afterwards xxx minutes I was ready to larn away from the frightening the world of stone as well as dorsum to the gentle fine art of cookery. The judges, starting to demo some alcohol-influenced apparel as well as tear (I don't recall nutrient critics as well as chefs ordinarily cause got access to a rider), dived into their 2d circular of stone 'n' coil dishes. Team 4 were upward first, alongside Rebecca taking charge. They came upward alongside some assort of gyoza, a chicken-based pizza as well as something known every bit Spazzy-surprise (named afterwards squad fellow member Ally Spazzy).

Team 3 produced 4 courses: Ming Dynasty chicken, Marvin the chicken sandwich, chicken alongside Dan Kelly Sauce and, inwards a determination that toll them the heat, Bog Log III's boobscotch whiskey chicken alongside a human breast-milk sauce. The judges were a picayune disappointed past times Dan Kelly's endeavour given his pedigree, but the breast-milk flavoured chicken was the existent occupation for squad 3 - alongside all of the judges disgusted both past times the concept as well as past times the taste. Despite Bob Log's disappointing functioning inwards the kitchen, he got my vote for wittiest apron, proudly wearing the slogan, "Got to a greater extent than fourth dimension for misbehavin', since I started microwavin'".

So Rebecca Barnard's Team 4 advanced to the dessert-themed concluding against Lisa Miller's Team 2. The concluding was a 15 infinitesimal affair, alongside each squad producing sugariness treats based on the cloak-and-dagger ingredient, bizarrely presented past times a Devo-inspired helper, BANANAS!

Despite my anti-banana agenda, the dessert circular was the highlight inwards damage of sheer cooking action: Andy as well as Scott from The Living End came upward alongside chocolate bumholes: cored banana slices filled alongside a Mars bar mush.

In addition, Team 4 came upward alongside ii to a greater extent than dishes: maple foliage rag (bananas caremalised inwards maple syrup) as well as Elvis Presley's favourite, fried banana as well as peanut butter sandwiches. In comparision, Team 2 expended all their unloose energy on ane dish: banana filled crepes. While all this was going on, The Wayfaring Strangers were dancing unopen to the music phase wearing picayune to a greater extent than than aprons as well as strategically places tongs. The judges traipsed out for the concluding fourth dimension as well as hoed into the diverse dessert plates. Team 2 looked the favourites merely through sheer release of dishes and, when the concluding scores were announced they were victorious, taking abode the initiatory Golden Wok (see above).

This long as well as rambling post service has barely begun to comprehend merely how action-packed the whole eventide was - the nearly fun I've had inwards ages. The whole thought is quintessentially Melbourne: stone 'n' coil as well as nutrient mushed together into a chaotic mess where all of a abrupt it makes perfect sense for John Lethlean as well as SixFtHick to hold out sharing a bill. And, of course, the whole thing was for a practiced drive - everyone involved donated their fourth dimension as well as a practiced chunk of the coin raised volition halt upward helping immature disadvantaged Melbourne-ites. Foodie amusement can't larn much amend than that.

April 29, 2007: Urban Burger

January 2016: We're doing a chip of a spider web log clean-up in addition to it seems every bit though Urban Burger shut downwards a piece ago.

After watching the likes of John Lethlean scoff downwards mushroomy macro dumplings in addition to Elvis Presley sandwiches, Michael in addition to I were create for a rock'n'roll dinner of our own. We didn't create got to wander likewise far along Swan St for Urban Burger to acquaint itself every bit a fast, affordable in addition to appetising option. This is Maccas for yuppies inwards the vein of Grill'd in addition to Burger Republic, in addition to boasts the 2006 Leader Business Award for best takeaway eating seat inwards Melbourne. Meat-lovers create got 10 beef in addition to 8 chicken burgers to direct from, piece vegos create got 4 appetising options of their own: i alongside tofu, only about other featuring portabello mushroom, a vegan i alongside beans in addition to lentils, in addition to lastly i alongside grilled eggplant.

These $9 burgers are enormous, on the same scale every bit those at Burger Republic. The carte du jour describes the buns every bit a "sour dough wholemeal blend", but they tasted similar the to a greater extent than typical doughy white flour ringlet to me. Their size makes them unwieldy in addition to I had a serious filling escape in addition to juice running downwards my hands, but the vibrant combination of ingredients was easily worth that discomfort: my Port Melbourne burger boasted a marinated portabello mushroom, roasted cherry-red capsicum, rocket, cherry-red onion, pesto in addition to aioli. Michael was similarly pleased alongside his Vegan Vibe: a patty of cherry-red kidney beans, lentils, coriander in addition to chilli teamed alongside avocado, salad, savour in addition to the optional non-vegan aioli. Naturally in that place was also a shared serve of chips, alongside to a greater extent than aioli. They had a satisfying compaction but were a chip dry, falling good behind my Grill'd sample and, from memory, belike non upwards to the Burger Republic ones either.

Urban Burger absolutely striking the spot, in addition to I'd happily revisit them for only about to a greater extent than fancy fast food. However it falls a chip curt of the where's the beef? accolade for best Melbourne takeaway.

Address: 174 Swan St, Richmond
Ph: 9429 9822
Unlicensed
Price: vege burgers $8.80, chips $3
Website: www.urbanburger.com.au