July 23, 2007: Leftover Makeover - Murphy Cakes

fennel leek soup yielded a bowl sum of limp together with soggy veges, drained of coloring together with flavor for the sake of stock. I resurrected approximately of the fennel, leek together with carrot yesteryear finely chopping them; adding approximately pepper, powdered stock together with chopped soy bacon for flavour; together with hence incorporating them into Irish Gaelic patato cakes. (The prep method here, using waxy potatoes, is a revelation.) Fresh greens together with vego Worcestershire sauce to serve. The resulting golden-fried fritters reminded me of the hash cakes (quit your giggling!) that my grandmother used to brand (I said terminate it!) from leftover boiled spuds together with corned beef.

July 26, 2007: Camy Shanghai Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant

Nila City.

Address: 25 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne CBD
Ph: 9663 8555
BYO
Price: veg meals $3-12

July 28, 2007: Hotel Lincoln

Saturday nighttime provided our start out conduct chances to banking concern tally out the Melbourne International Film Festival. Cindy had spent all twenty-four hours preparing for the indoor picnic nosotros had scheduled for sun (coming soon!) as well as amongst a 7:30 motion painting (Snow Angels - okay, but a fleck on the bleak side) coming up, it was fourth dimension for us to discovery roughly other local dining spot to relieve both unloose energy as well as time. We're fast running out of interesting local places to investigate, but later racking our brains for a piece nosotros remembered the Hotel Lincoln, a 'foodie' pub at the southern terminate of Cardigan Street.

The pub has 2 sections - a forepart bar as well as a restaurant. Slightly confusingly, there's no existent departure inwards the sections - you lot tin lodge from the bar carte du jour inwards the eating theater as well as vice-versa. It's a fleck confusing (particularly when the menus are on blackboards important you lot accept to walk dorsum as well as forth betwixt the forepart as well as dorsum of the pub to suss out all your options). We settled into the eating theater department as well as kicked dorsum amongst a drinkable each (apparently the vino listing is quite impressive, but I was happy amongst Coopers on tap as well as Cindy wanted a lemon, lime as well as bitters).

Neither carte du jour is filled amongst vegie alternatives - I think at that spot was a curry as well as a pasta on the bar menu, but nosotros both chose from the eating theater menu: homemade pesto gnocchi amongst wilted spinach, flaked almonds as well as pecorino ($18.50) for Cindy as well as a Middle Eastern cheese as well as pino nut pastry amongst mint yoghurt ($12.50) as well as a side-salad ($5.50) for me.

The nutrient came out promptly as well as smelled delicious. Cindy's pasta was sprinkled amongst delicious cheese as well as was generously slathered inwards roughly mighty fine pesto. Gnocchi ever wears me downward past times the terminate as well as and then it proved for Cindy - she got through close three-quarters earlier filling upward and, despite a slight over-abundance of oil, she was pretty content.

My pastries came out inwards a neat lilliputian tower amongst generous slathers of yoghurt sauce as well as a proficient sprinkle of walnuts. They were cheesy as well as delicious, but my side plate of greens proved a wise deed - it mightiness accept been likewise much cholesterol for me otherwise.

The nutrient was great, the service was quick (meaning nosotros made it to the movies on time) as well as the atmosphere was pleasant - the scarcity of vego options way it may live on a piece earlier nosotros return, but I'd heartily recommend the identify to meat-eaters out there.

Address: 91 Cardigan Street, Carlton
Ph: 9347 4666
Licensed (obviously, it's a pub)
Prices: Vego mains $15-$20, entrees $10-$15

July 29, 2007: An Indoor Picnic

"meat" pies as well as party-sized non-sausage rolls as well as had a scandalize of Chinese-style barbeque sauce at the ready (for the record, the pies are easily veganised as well as there's been to a greater extent than or less give-and-take of tweaking the sausage rolls alongside silken tofu).

The pastries were truly the primary number of this meal, as well as they drew the appreciative comments, but I knew I had to feed my guests to a greater extent than or less veges too. Pictured inwards a higher house isn't a distich of pear quarters, but truly to a greater extent than or less rosemary braised fennel. This recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier's outset mass Chocolate as well as Zucchini: Daily Adventures inwards a Parisian Kitchen. I've only borrowed the mass from the library as well as it's a cute every bit the blog (and every bit Clotilde herself, of course!). This dish had the advantages of complementing the faint whiff of rosemary inwards the pie filling as well as of existence served at room temperature, allowing me to laid upwardly it early.

The 2d side was composed of potatoes, leeks as well as artichokes - to a greater extent than or less other dish that tin simmer away inwards a pot long earlier guests acquire inwards as well as hence hold upwardly reheated only earlier serving. The recipe comes from the lovely ladies at Mondo Organics as well as is my favourite side dish for these pies. Leftovers tin hold upwardly wrapped upwardly inwards pastry themselves every bit to a greater extent than or less other wintertime meal.

While these sides are each first-class pastry partners, they ended upwardly existence rather similar inwards colouring as well as texture. I belike would direct maintain done a fighting amend to direct only 1 of them as well as hence rely on a crisp greenish salad for a fighting of lift. Live as well as learn, right? Luckily Jo-Lyn stepped inwards alongside to a greater extent than or less crisp, fresh hit - cucumbers, mint as well as fruit for Pimms all circular (pictured at the top)! This summery gesture was supported past times a generous serving of sunlight through our north-facing windows.

You know that whatever repast managed past times me would direct maintain to include dessert, but you'll direct maintain to human face until my side past times side postal service for that one. For now, yous only acquire a distich of novel vege recipes.

Rosemary braised fennel
(from Chocolate as well as Zucchini: Daily Adventures inwards a Parisian Kitchen past times Clotilde Dusoulier)

4 small-scale fennel bulbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 loving cup dry out white wine
1/2 loving cup stock
1 tablespoon lime juice

Cut the stalks off the fennel, quarter them as well as hence cutting to a greater extent than or less of the amount off - brand certain the 'leaves' are withal connected together.

In a large pan, oestrus most of the fossil oil over medium-high heat. Add close one-half of the fennel hence that they're non crowded up, as well as hence brownish them on each side. Leave 'em for a few minutes as well as don't hold upwardly likewise impatient! When the outset batch is done, transfer them to a plate as well as repeat alongside the remaining fossil oil as well as fennel.

Return all of the fennel to the pan, hence sprinkle it alongside the tabular array salt as well as rosemary. Add the wine, stock as well as lime juice, convey it to a simmer as well as cover. Turn the oestrus downwardly as well as create the fennel until tender, close 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid as well as create downwardly the liquid until it's syrupy. Clotilde reckons this volition alone accept close five minutes, but my fennel juice took at to the lowest degree fifteen minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.


Winter potatoes alongside artichokes, leeks as well as mint
(from a Mondo Organics newsletter)

1 x 400g tin artichoke hearts
500g potatoes, peeled
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dill
3/4 loving cup olive fossil oil (I'd advise reducing this to 1/2 cup)
1/2 loving cup "chicken" stock
300g leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons mint
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Place the outset vii ingredients inwards a large saucepan or casserole dish as well as simmer on depression heat, covered, for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir inwards the mint as well as lemon juice only earlier serving.

July 29, 2007: Cappuccino Cupcakes

indoor picnic, I baked a batch of Nigella Lawson's cappuccino cupcakes. This is solely the 2nd batch of cupcakes I've e'er attempted, yet they seemed merely the affair to relish on a checkered blanket inward the sun. It was mighty tempting to squad them amongst the espresso cupcakes on the facing page of the cookbook but amongst a concluding count of nine people inward attendance, it was to a greater extent than sensible to bound myself to merely the dozen.

I was hoping for a not-too-sweet java cake amongst bite, topped amongst something sweetness together with creamy, together with was curious to seek a cake batter that's made inward a nutrient processor. The method was equally convenient equally I'd hoped, but the flavours didn't quite alive upwardly to my expectations. The batter had a promising bitterness but it mellowed almost beyond recognition amongst baking. The icing, on the other hand, was the sweetest, sickliest affair I've encountered inward years but I approximate teaming icing carbohydrate amongst melted white chocolate volition produce that, eh? I didn't purpose upwardly the total quantity for fright of inflicting molar decay on my guests. Still, I actually similar the concept of these cakes together with I'd brand the batter in 1 lawsuit again amongst to a greater extent than or less extra coffee. The icing, on the other hand, needs a consummate overhaul: I mightiness endeavor a lightly sweetened cream cheese adjacent time.

Cappuccino cupcakes

cake:
125g self-raising flour
125g soft unsalted butter
125g castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped tablespoon instant java pulverisation (try two!)
2-3 tablespoons milk

icing:
160g white chocolate
60g butter
120g sour cream
260g icing sugar, sieved

cocoa powder, to dust

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Put all the cake ingredients except the milk into a nutrient processor together with whizz 'em upwardly until combined. With the motor nonetheless run, gradually add together milk until the batter is smoothen but thick. Arrange cupcake papers inward a muffin pan together with hence spoon the batter into the papers. Bake for well-nigh twenty minutes, cool inward the pan for five minutes together with hence on a wire rack.

Only offset the icing when the cupcakes are completely cold. Gently melt the white chocolate together with butter, hence allow it cool a little. Stir inward the sour cream. Sift together with stir inward the icing sugar. Nigella suggests a fighting of hot H2O or to a greater extent than icing carbohydrate if the icing's besides thick or thin. Spread the cakes amongst the icing together with dust them amongst cocoa.

July 30, 2007: Leftover Makeover - Warm Irish Gaelic Patato Salad

indoor picnic yielded a lot of leftovers (no cupcakes though, funnily enough!). For dinner on Mon night, I fried upwards to a greater extent than or less surplus winter potatoes (no extra crude oil necessary) until browned, added to a greater extent than or less strips of soy bacon as well as tossed amongst mixed lettuce leaves. It was an exclusively novel season as well as texture compared to the potatoes' previous incarnation, as well as heartily enjoyed.

July 31, 2007: Misuzu's

dmargster's recommendation, then nosotros navigated our agency over to Albert Park to effort it out.

Cindy's interrogation had also told us that nosotros needed to book, fifty-fifty on a Tuesday eve - indeed, when nosotros rang them they stressed to us that if nosotros were to a greater extent than than xx minutes belatedly we'd lose our table. Sure enough, when nosotros arrived the house was inundation amongst people - it's a proficient sign when a house is inwards such demand on a schoolhouse night. We squeezed our agency upstairs to our tabular array together with settled inwards for the evening. The carte du jour is well-stocked amongst vegetarian choice - a broad diverseness of starters together with likely one-half a dozen mains. Japanese nutrient is unremarkably a combat for those of us who don't consume fish, then it was prissy to run into then many choices.

Emma together with Simon were sort plenty to portion the large vegetarian entree platter ($22.80) amongst us. Unfortunately, the photograph didn't function out rattling well. Despite our inadequate chopstick skills, nosotros feasted on a selection of sushi, petty hot tasty things, closed to assort of dried sugariness white patato salad, bits of tofu together with diverse other bits together with pieces. It was tremendous - the sugariness white patato inwards item was an strange together with impressive dish. It was a fairly gigantic plate of nutrient to larn us started, but nosotros were given plenty fourth dimension to residuum betwixt finishing it upwards together with the arrival of our mains.

Which was lucky, because when they came, they were gigantic. Cindy ordered the tempura soba ($13.80) - seasonal tempura vegetables inwards soy-based soup amongst buckwheat soba noodles. Look at how high they piled that soup! The tempura vegies were plentiful together with delicious together with the buckwheat noodles were thick together with tasty. There was, of course, also much for Cindy, but what she managed to consume she was rattling impressed with.

I opted for the vegetable don ($13.80): tempura veges stewed amongst finely sliced onion inwards a layered free-range egg omelette. It was terrific - total of vegies without beingness overly heavy, a generous slathering of egg together with closed to tasty rice at the bottom. Again, it was a ridiculously hearty repast - I managed to larn through it all, but at that spot was no room left for me to assistance Cindy out.

Simon together with I shared a prissy bottle of wine, Cindy knocked dorsum a ramune (Japanese old-style lemonade) together with Emma had closed to assort of tea. The service was pretty good, the atmosphere was neat (the mural behind our tabular array was all kinds of weird) together with the repast was remarkably affordable for the quality. So brand a booking together with effort it out - Misuzu's is a fine option. Even if it is far, far away across the other side of the river.

Address: 2-7 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
Ph: 9699 9022
Price: Vegie mains: $10 - $15
Licensed