April 1, 2007: Easter Buns

her recipe for hot cross buns together with strongly encouraged her readers to endeavour making their own. Never having tried it myself, together with amongst a spare Lord's Day forenoon on hand, I decided to accept the challenge. As Melinda notes, baking amongst yeast oft puts people off: I inherited this mental attitude from my mum, who presented my teenage self amongst a decades-old box of dry out yeast sachets when I commencement raised an interest. I raised no farther questions nearly home-baked yeasty delights until a few years ago, when I finally got sick of inferior purchased pizza bases together with resolved to brand my own. My revised theory on yeast is that anyone who tin sack carefully follow a recipe together with spare or hence fourth dimension for the dough to ascent is capable of making or hence pretty skillful breadstuff products - superior to anything you'll purchase from a supermarket bakery. Beyond that it may accept or hence research, experimentation together with experience to make or hence genuinely sublime eating. I'm far from reaching that point! By the fourth dimension 1 batch of dough is inwards my stomach, I'm non at all interested inwards trying a refined recipe whatsoever fourth dimension soon.

April 1, 2007: Beetroot Together With Carrot Soup

another soup. I mean value every bit wintertime comes on, we'll survive souping it upwardly to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than often. Luckily, Cindy's been keeping upwardly alongside dozens of unlike nutrient blogs in addition to taking depository fiscal establishment annotation of unopen to of the especially delicious looking recipes she stumbles across. This week's winner was the tremendously pink-looking creation on Eat Me: beetroot in addition to carrot soup.

I made a few changes, through both laziness in addition to a lack of ingredients (we likewise decided to cutting dorsum on the quantities), but it nonetheless turned out pretty well. It was slightly starchy, then I mightiness readjust the vegie proportions adjacent fourth dimension - mayhap an extra beetroot in addition to i or 2 less potatoes, but otherwise it actually hitting the spot. I'm actually getting a gustatory modality for these blended soups - it's difficult to believe that I coped for then many years without a nutrient processor.

I'll reproduced my version of the recipe here, but experience gratis to endeavour out the original instead.

1 tbsp butter
1 carmine onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large/2 minor beetroots, peeled in addition to diced
1 large/2 minor potatoes, peeled in addition to diced
2 tsp terra firma cumin
1/4 loving cup milk
1 Massel chicken-style stock cube, dissolved inwards 2 cups of hot water
Salt, pepper in addition to balsamic vinegar to taste

Melt the butter inwards a large pot in addition to ready the onion in addition to garlic for nigh x minutes. Add the cumin in addition to mix it upwardly thoroughly.

Throw inwards the diced vegies in addition to add together inwards the stock - y'all actually desire a fair flake of stock to boil the vegies in. I ended upwardly padding things out alongside a flake of extra hot H2O here, then y'all may desire to merely brand upwardly to a greater extent than stock.

Simmer for 45 minutes to an threescore minutes - until all the vegies are overnice in addition to soft. Whizz the whole mix upwardly inwards a nutrient processor in addition to furnish it to the pot. Stir inwards the milk in addition to add together salt, pepper in addition to balsamic vinegar to taste.

Serve upwardly alongside unopen to fresh staff of life slices in addition to relish the warming goodness.

April 4, 2007: Wednesday Black Mexican

It's been a piece since nosotros entertained anyone inward our home, but roughly newcomers to my workplace provided a proficient argue to describe out the biggest saucepan too purchase an extra 6-pack of beer. Tracy too her partner Lee are the latest Brisbane migrants to Melbourne's inner N too from fifty-fifty farther afield (the Northern Territory!), Beth has at 1 time taken upwards residence at a desk side yesteryear side to mine. On Wed eve they gave me an hr or hence caput showtime from the role to gear upwards up a Mexican-themed dinner at home.

On my previous night's planning, I made the determination to move along this weeknight repast quite casual too low-stress. This meant no-fuss appetisers too desserts, too a serve-yourself top dog course. Michael had picked out roughly perfectly ripe avocadoes too it didn't accept also long to mash them alongside a really juicy lime too stir inward roughly finely chopped crimson onion too a flake of sour cream. Voila! Tangy guacamole. I brought out the Chilli Factory salsa every bit a spicy side, too in that location were Coronas all round.

Michael tin accept most of the credit for dinner - an enormous pot of TVP/red edible bean chilli. This is the variety of hearty vegetarian dish that ensures we'll never hanker for spag bol: thick love apple tree sauce alongside chopped veges, crimson kidney beans too our favourite pseudo-mince ladled into bowls too garnished alongside a dab of sour cream. My contribution was to whip upwards a cheesy cornbread batter too bake it inward a muffin tray. We kept the chilli too cornbread minimally spicy, offering pickled jalapenos too finely diced chipotles to cater for the varying tastes too tolerances amid us.

For once, I showed a flake of restraint on the dessert front. Rather than poring over cookbooks for days too baking something rich too labour-intensive, I turned to Allergy Block for roughly theme-appropriate chocolate. I constitute the Green too Black's Maya Gold I was later on too also picked upwards roughly other doozy - dark chocolate with cayenne! Good intelligence that it's organic, vegan too made alongside ethically-purchased cocoa. It was a pleasant 70% cocoa block too a deadening burner - I was chewing for a proficient 5 seconds earlier I detected the cayenne, but it's an unmistakable estrus at the dorsum of the pharynx 1 time it does arrive. The G&B's was everything I remembered it to be: shine but non waxy too alongside an intensely orangish too subtly spiced edge.

Admittedly this was a flake to a greater extent than involved than our green weeknight meal, but nosotros lost naught inward stripping the bill of fare dorsum from my to a greater extent than elaborate efforts of the past. When the guests get got left too I'm stacking the dishwasher, I experience to a greater extent than satisfied from having spent fourth dimension inward proficient companionship than I e'er volition from huddling inward the kitchen for hours on end, trying to print alongside risky too complicated food.



Chilli alongside TVP
(from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 crimson onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon set down cumin
1 tablespoon set down coriander
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 large crimson capsicum, diced
2 cups of TVP, re-hydrated inward 2 cups of hot water
2 x 800g cans crushed tomatoes
2 x 800g cans crimson kidney beans, rinsed too drained
2/3 loving cup love apple tree paste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
salt, to taste
optional garnish of grated cheese or sour cream

Heat the petroleum inward a large saucepan, frying the onions too garlic until soft. Add the cumin, coriander too chilli pulverisation too stir well. Next add together the diced zucchini too capsicum, embrace too gear upwards for three minutes. Stir inward the TVP too gear upwards for a few to a greater extent than minutes until it's heated through. The canned tomatoes too beans larn inward next, hence lastly the parsley too seasonings. The chilli tin rest covered on a depression to medium heat, alongside occasional stirs, if you lot are preparing other nutrient (such every bit delicious cornbread!). If the chilli is thicker than you lot prefer, sparse it out alongside a footling H2O or stock only a infinitesimal or ii earlier serving. To serve, ladle the chilli into bowls or mugs too garnish if you lot wish.


Cajun Cornbread
(from Kurma Dasa's World Vegetarian Food)

1 loving cup polenta
1/2 loving cup obviously flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika (substitute roughly or all of this alongside cayenne if you lot like)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly set down dark pepper
2 tablespoons minced dark-green chillies (optional)
1 loving cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 loving cup grated tasty cheese

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Combine the dry out ingredients, polenta through to the optional chillies, inward a bowl too mix well. In a sort out pocket-size bowl, whisk together the buttermilk too oil. Combine the dry out too moisture ingredients (don't over-mix) too crimp inward the grated cheese. Spoon the mixture into a greased loaf pan, pie dish or muffin tray (I made 8 pocket-size muffin portions). Bake for close xx minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm.

April 5, 2007: Shakahari Ii

Cindy together with I marked the starting fourth dimension of the Easter long weekend amongst a jaunt to Cinema Nova to come across here.

April 6, 2007: Carry Populace Bar

Post-modern sculpture? If it looks to you lot similar the variety of overblown interpretive concrete geometry that belongs inward a populace infinite such equally Federation Square you're getting warmer. It's truly the deck article of furniture at Transport Public Bar (perhaps you lot noticed the white sneaker toe only by the scarlet padded seat). Even amongst nearly retail outlets closed, the metropolis (and the pub) were healthily populated on Good Friday. With books too blankets, Michael too I sought an lx minutes or two's refuge inward the metropolis gardens earlier our growling stomachs led us dorsum to the concrete commons too the deep-frier. (Ironically, the Transport populace bar claims an "emphasis on organic meals too environmental design". With non a leafy light-green to last seen, nosotros truly missed their point.)

While much idea has clearly gone into the modern pattern of the Transport populace bar, it's to a greater extent than pub than trendy bar. It's a house for a beer, a steak or burger amongst chips too mayhap a yell at the footy on hide - non truly somewhere to last seen, too definitely non the house for a date. In the absence of whatever televised football, this was only fine for us - an opened upwardly ceiling too wall of louvres allow the Sun too 'fresh' metropolis air inward too provided ample sentiment of the Swanston St goings-on.

The carte du jour at the bar has a few vego options. Michael was good pleased to run into a veggie burger (with chips, $10) amidst them, too I predictably had eyes solely for the chips ($6.50). They were of a pretty expert standard, I mean value they were lightly battered for extra crunch, amongst a sizable dose of seasoning. Get 'em downwards quick, though, because they're far less interesting in ane lawsuit lukewarm. The Lycopersicon esculentum sauce too capsicum mayo were portioned quite generously, but were average inward flavour. Michael's burger was an first-class residue of crunchy too chewy, fried too fresh, but the potato-heavy patty is a chip much given that the prescribed side is a handful-and-a-half of chips.

When solely partially full, the Transport populace bar is a pleasant (and well-located) house to sit down dorsum amongst a friend, a beer, too a salty snack or meal. For this role a vegetarian is only equally probable to relish it equally whatever other punter.

Address: Ground Floor, Transport Hotel, Federation Square, cnr of Flinders too Swanston Streets, Melbourne CBD
Ph: 9654 8808
Licensed
Price: veg mains $10-13
Website: www.transporthotel.com.au

April 6, 2007: Leftover Makeover - Mexican Toastie

Wednesday black Mexican comes Fri night's dinner: a toasted sandwich filled amongst chilli too tasty cheese too topped amongst guacamole.

April 7, 2007: Cafe 3A

Update 31/12/2014: Cafe 3A is closed.

Cafe 3A roughly the corner was opened upwardly for business.

The carte du jour makes for impressive reading. The savoury breakfasts are egg-based, but alongside a few intriguing variations from the measure fare. Slightly exotic ingredients similar capers, olive tapenade as well as goat's cheese are dotted throughout the carte du jour as well as y'all tin create your ain brekkie from a base of operations of eggs on sourdough. I decided to skip the poached eggs for a alter as well as instead opted for a vegetarian omelette (see above), filled alongside blood-red peppers, goat's cheese, salsa verde as well as capers. It was quite tasty - the capers inward detail providing tiny bursts of flavor equally my teeth located them. Unfortunately it was all a flake dry out - the toast came without butter (although I could convey asked if I actually cared), as well as the omelette seemed only slightly overcooked. I was hoping that the salsa verde would hold upwardly a form of sauce for the omelette, but it had instead been stirred though the omelette mix. It was fine (and quite inexpensive at $9.50), but the positive things I'd read elsewhere had me hoping for more.

Cindy spent a skilful land studying the sugariness breakfast options on the carte du jour - at that spot were 2 wonderful sounding choices. First of all, turkish breadstuff slathered alongside rhubarb, strawberry as well as nectarine compote, alongside cinnamon as well as juniper berries, organic yoghurt as well as pistachios (for a remarkable $6.50). There was besides a french toast dish, incorporating sour cherries, roasted almonds as well as cherry syrup ($8.50). After much humming as well as hahing, Cindy bizarrely opted for something off the tiffin menu: a vegetarian panini alongside plum chutney, avocado, goat's cheese as well as rocket ($8.50). I stole a tiny gustatory modality of the cheese as well as chutney, both of which were wonderful - it made me wonder where the goat's cheese had gone inward my omelet, the flavor didn't compare at all. Cindy raved almost the fresh avocado as well as she seemed rattling content alongside her surprisingly non-dessert styled breakfast.

Address: 3A Edward Street, Brunswick
Ph: 9380 4996
Licensed
Prices: Veg brekkies $3.50-$10, lunches $8.50-$10