Caramelised White Chocolate Icecream

January 20-21, 2018

This icecream recipe isn't quite my commons style. Nope, it's non from home-grown vegan trick. It doesn't actually require an icecream maker. And it's flavoured amongst white chocolate, the to the lowest degree chocolatey of all chocolates. Yet Michael, who skips past times every white Lindt ball inwards the box, declared it the best icecream I've made inwards years!

So what is this icecream? It's from the blog Delicious Everyday. It's generally simply made from double cream in addition to sweetened condensed milk, which feels a fleck similar cheating, but is thus sweetness in addition to thick in addition to creamy that it actually doesn't involve to survive churned. And it's flavoured amongst caramelised white chocolate.

Caramelising white chocolate was pretty funny this kickoff fourth dimension some - unwrapping it, popping it whole onto a baking tray, in addition to roasting it inwards a depression oven for over an hour, until it browned. The chocolate alone kinda melts, in addition to it's surprisingly hard to operate a spatula through it in addition to brand certain the chocolate roasts evenly. I was cautious, turning my oven to only 100°C, in addition to every bit a lawsuit I spent an hr in addition to a one-half on this chore instead of the directed hr at 120°C. I'll know amend side past times side time.

The final result is rich, rich, rich, amongst a acquit upon of toasty caramel depth. I served small-scale sensible scoops, amongst a fruit salad of mango in addition to pineapple dressed inwards lime juice, when I had my international guest in addition to his married adult woman over for dinner. (The residue of the repast was much to a greater extent than predictable, with Michael in addition to I crushed lentil platter, coriander in addition to yoghurt-dressed pumpkin, in addition to a Spring salad.) 

Caramelised white chocolate icecream
(a recipe from Delicious Everyday)

150g white chocolate (make certain it's based on cocoa butter, non some other vegetable oil)
395g tin dismiss sweetened condensed milk
600mL double cream

Preheat an oven to 120°C.

Place the chocolate inwards a small-scale baking tray in addition to roast it for 60-90 minutes, stirring at 10 minutes intervals amongst a baking spatula, until the chocolate has developed a deep caramel colour. The texture is hopefully smooth, but unexpectedly thick! Here are some indicative photos from the source blog.

Transfer one-half of the caramelised chocolate to a medium bowl. Gradually whisk inwards the condensed milk until smooth, in addition to thus whisk inwards the cream until everything's good mixed.

At this indicate the master copy recipe suggests pouring one-half of the cream mixture into your freezer container, marbling through the extra chocolate, in addition to repeating amongst with remaining ingredients earlier freezing. I chose to refrigerate the cream mixture overnight, shop the remaining chocolate at room temperature, in addition to churn the cream mixture earlier assembling in addition to freezing. I works life the chocolate likewise thick to marble, in addition to side past times side fourth dimension I intend I'll refrigerate it in addition to chop it into chips that I tin dismiss stir through the icecream.

Freeze the icecream for at to the lowest degree four hours earlier serving. I works life that it was easiest to scoop afterwards xv minutes at room temperature.

A Fan's Notes Iv

January 22, 2018

A Fan's Notes is notwithstanding doing its fancy Friday nighttime degustations, but for the balance of the calendar week it's firmly a vegan-friendly dive bar. There are parmas, burgers, inexpensive tacos too and then forth, addition reasonably priced booze, pub trivia too the occasional gig. It's a perfect picayune local. We noticed their Mon nighttime specials - $5 vegan burgers - too couldn't resist heading along to depository fiscal establishment fit it out.

Of course, too then did almost everyone else inwards the greater Melbourne area. When nosotros got at that topographic point nigh 7, the staff were visibly shell-shocked from the early on rush too couldn't fifty-fifty country us whether there'd last nutrient available if nosotros stuck around. The kitchen was unopen temporarily too they suggested nosotros depository fiscal establishment fit dorsum inwards one-half an hr to run into where things stood. We kicked dorsum alongside drinks every bit things died downwardly too were lucky that at that topographic point turned out to last a few burgers left in i lawsuit the outset moving ridge of orders had been dealt with. Cindy requested the fish burger (a nori, tofu too lemon patty), spell I went for the chilli burger (quinoa too beetroot patty alongside chipotle coleslaw, tomato plant too avocado).

At $5 a popular I had pretty depression expectations, but these were both fantastic, means ahead of the to a greater extent than mutual mushroom or potato-based veggie patties too loaded alongside neat condiments. The $5 cost also brings out masses of people - besides many for the kitchen to realistically handle. We've only seen that inwards hereafter the Mon exceptional is going to last a $15 drink/chips/burger combo, which notwithstanding seems similar an outrageously skillful bargain - can't hold off to depository fiscal establishment fit it out.

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Nobody's blogged this house since we visited inwards December. You tin give the axe also run into our previous posts here too here.

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A Fan's Notes
787 Nicholson St, Carlton North
9943 8373
burger menu
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a apartment entry means to a slightly crowded interior. We ordered too paid at the high bar. There's a single, unisex lav cubicle, which is upward a pace off an uneven path. 

Apple Walnut Salad Alongside Rhubarb Dressing

January 28, 2018

My colleague Jane kindly gave me only about of her home-grown rhubarb afterwards seeing this recipe hither on the blog. We traded cake recipes, too, but fifty-fifty afterwards reflecting on those beauties I pulled out 2 novel recipes for this bunch! This cute lilliputian salad has been bookmarked over a decade, from the now-defunct nutrient weblog vanesscipes. (Thankfully the Wayback Machine tin all the same dredge it up.)

Here the rhubarb is only gently sauteed alongside crude oil too balsamic vinegar to cast the salad dressing. It's all the same quite theater too whole, a dissimilar texture to the collapsing puddles I'm accustomed to inwards many desserts. While I intend of rhubarb every bit a cool weather condition comfort food, this salad shows how vivid too refreshing it tin be! That's by too large cheers to the apple tree matchsticks too radish rounds that brand upwards the crisp, watery mass of the dish. 

I was worried the apple tree mightiness dark-brown quickly, but the dressing preserves it good too it was all the same inwards skilful shape for packed lunches the side yesteryear side day. We paired this juicy, tangy salad alongside the simplest chickpea salad and they made a relaxed, happy summertime coupling.

Apple walnut salad alongside rhubarb dressing
(a recipe from vanesscipes)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 long stalks rhubarb
ane teaspoon dark-brown sugar
generous pinch of salt
ane 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 loving cup walnuts
2 Granny Smith apples
vi radishes
2 handfuls greenish salad leaves

Pour ane tablespoon of the crude oil into a medium saucepan too develop it over medium heat. Slice the rhubarb into inch-long segments too saute them inwards the crude oil for most five minutes - they should move softening a fleck but all the same asset their shape. Add the sugar, salt, vinegar too 2nd tablespoon of oil. Saute for a brace to a greater extent than minutes, thence plow off the heat.

Gently toast the walnuts until fragrant. Slice the apples into matchsticks, too the radishes into sparse rounds.

Time to get together the salad! I layered upwards greenish leaves, radishes, apples, rhubarb dressing, thence walnuts. We also tossed together the leftovers too the dressing helped foreclose the apple tree from browning.

Rhubarb & Kokosnoot Sago

January 28, 2018

The ease of Jane's rhubarb gift went into this unproblematic dessert - stewed rhubarb interspersed alongside a kokosnoot sago pudding. It's to a greater extent than or less other recipe I've held onto for to a greater extent than than a decade, this fourth dimension from Cook (almost) Anything, in addition to I'm glad it's endure having its moment.

Since it was a hot weekend, I made this a yoke of hours inwards advance in addition to popped it into the refrigerator to chill. That actually sets upwardly the sago! I'm going to relish remaking this dessert inwards cooler weather, when I tin serve it warm alongside a to a greater extent than custardy texture.

Both the rhubarb in addition to the sago are cooked alongside generous quantities of saccharide in addition to the overall resultant is really sweet. I'll consider reducing the saccharide inwards the sago element inwards time to come batches, to practise a stronger flavor contrast. The sweetness sago could likewise move good alongside tangy fresh fruit, similar pineapple. I've got a lot of leftover seed tapioca to figure out my favourite combinations!

Rhubarb & kokosnoot sago
(a recipe from Cook (almost) Anything)

stewed rhubarb
500g rhubarb
ane loving cup caster sugar
1/2 loving cup water

coconut sago
1/2 loving cup sago/seed tapioca
ane loving cup kokosnoot cream
ane 1/2 cups H2O (I used two cups)
1/2 loving cup caster sugar

Slice the rhubarb into 1-inch lengths. Place them inwards a medium-sized saucepan alongside the saccharide in addition to water. Set them over medium heat, stirring often, until the rhubarb collapses.

In a separate, medium-large saucepan, stir together all of the kokosnoot sago ingredients in addition to laid them over medium heat. Stir the pudding regularly every bit it cooks in addition to avoid letting it boil! The sago is laid upwardly when the sago pearls are clear, in addition to their starch has thickened the kokosnoot cream.

Spoon the rhubarb in addition to the sago into spectacles inwards layers. It tin live served warm or cold, though regime annotation that the sago tends to laid into a gel inwards the fridge.

Nostralis

January 31, 2018

I’ve been vaguely pregnant to see Nostralis since reading almost it inwards the Melbourne Veg Food Guide agency dorsum inwards 2008. It’s a long-running vegetarian pizza house inwards Caulfield that’s been inwards functioning since 1981, sure enough a challenger for Melbourne’s second-longest running vego house afterwards Shakahari. The décor betrays its historic menstruum – lots of woods panels in addition to one-time fashioned signage, but the vibe is welcoming in addition to relaxed.

The bill of fare has or so strange options – a vindaloo pizza that includes banana in addition to sultanas sounded rattling disturbing to me – but it too recreates or so classics. There’s a margherita, mushroom in addition to Mexicana pizzas in addition to a whole hit of other veg-heavy toppings. They’ve too added inwards a few mock meat pizzas for vegos who immature adult woman their pepperoni. Gluten gratis bases in addition to vegan cheese (Cheezly) are available alongside modest surcharges.

Cindy’s a sucker for ham in addition to pineapple, so she went for a modest Hawaiian pizza alongside dairy cheese ($11.50). I didn’t gustation it, because pineapple on pizza is an abomination, but she was impressed. There was heaps of mozzarella in addition to generous mock ham, but she would receive got added fifty-fifty to a greater extent than pineapple given the alternative (because she's a monster). H5N1 footstep upwards from Eat Pizza's version.

I had a medium sized pepperoni alongside vegan cheese ($15 + $2.50), intending to receive got or so leftovers domicile for tiffin the adjacent day. Instead, I smashed my agency through the whole thing. These aren’t the authentic Italian pizzas served upwards at Gigi or Kaprica, but Nostralis actually receive got the nostalgic '80s Pizza Hut vibe down. If nosotros lived nearby I’d locomote going dorsum a lot.

Nostralis is a steady success storey inwards Melbourne’s veg dining scene, surviving alongside seemingly few changes for nearly forty years. On a sunny Wed nighttime nosotros watched a steady flow of people grabbing takeaway or plonking downward to part or so pizzas – everyone seems to part an enthusiasm for this one-time schoolhouse eatery.

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There are a duad of Nostralis posts on vegan blogs Veganise This! and In the Mood for Noodles (twice), but nix for ages that I could find.

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Nostralis
55 Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield North
9528 4961
menu
http://www.nostralis.com/

Accessibility: There's a modest footstep on entry into a fairly crowded interior. We ordered in addition to paid at a high counter in addition to didn't see the toilets. 

Ratio Cocoa Roasters

February 1, 2018

We roam Sydney Rd regularly, too keenly discovery which of its businesses are launching, re-configuring too closing upwardly for good. The Friends of Couture premises stood dormant a while, but when they came renovations were every bit good fast for us to speculate close what was to come upwardly - upwardly popped a bright, inviting chocolate store called Ratio!

Ratio is spacious, fifty-fifty allowing for the extensive glass-protected expanse where all the bean-to-bar concern happens. Up forepart y'all tin browse the chocolate blocks stimulate for taking away too gifting, a few steps farther inwards there's a cabinet of piddling treats to savor on the spot, too there's also a printed carte du jour for those who conduct maintain a seat.

Michael idea he'd larn the best bridge of the carte du jour yesteryear ordering the brownie tasting plate ($9.50, pictured top). Each has a dissimilar cocoa source too ratio, too though he enjoyed all of them, he had his Goldilocks instant amongst the 70% Peru-sourced cocoa slice.

He also tried out the Ratio hot chocolate ($5) - his study is positive, though he admits that he had every bit good much chocolate going on all circular to actually savor too seriously assess it.

I had my dessert inwards a unmarried glass, choosing the peanut butter too chocolate milk shiver ($8). I requested a vegan version made amongst milkadamia (+ $1), which mightiness fifty-fifty hold upwardly an improvement on the measure dairy-based version! Here the chocolate flavouring is existent but light, leaving enough of room for the macadamia too peanut flavours to shine through.

Of course of pedagogy nosotros took domicile a brace of bars to movement later. Both the milk too (vegan) nighttime varieties were real shine too quite sweet, amongst the flavourings pressed decoratively into 1 side of the bar. The salted caramel forms crushed glassy shards (not a soft centre, similar the truffles inwards store), too the macadamia makes modest nutty bubbles amongst alone a subtle lemon myrtle seasoning.

Ratio's arrival feels similar serendipity to us, though it's the culmination of years of difficult operate from founder Debb Makin. I'm looking frontward to farther familiarising myself amongst its wares this year.

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Ratio Cocoa Roasters
186 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
9388 8920
eats, drinks
https://ratiococoa.com.au/

Accessibility: There is a modest stride on entry to a spacious interior. Furniture is a mixture of depression tables too chairs amongst backs, addition higher tables amongst backless stools (see above). We ordered at our tabular array too paid at a depression counter. We didn't catch the toilets.

Small Axe Kitchen Ii

February 4, 2018

This summertime nosotros managed to schedule a Small Axe Kitchen brunch inward sunnier weather, together with nabbed a topographic point outdoors at their shared table. These guys e'er convey a twain of skilful sweetness options on the bill of fare together with on past visits, I've e'er picked the fruitier, to a greater extent than sensible looking ones. 

Not this time! I went all out amongst the miniature loaf of Sicilian orangish cake ($19.50), served on a swirl of burnt beloved mascarpone amongst a scoop of night chocolate custard, cubes of blood orangish jelly together with a sprinkling of milk crumbs. I can't actually convince yous at all that this is breakfast, but it is a lot of fun to swallow - the cake together with custard brand a excellent jaffa pairing, the mascarpone is firmer than it looks together with lightly bitter, the milk crumbs add together a salty pebbly texture together with the jelly to a greater extent than or less vivid sourness.

Michael's vegan zucchini fritters ($19.50) were less showy but (he reckons!) simply every bit enjoyable - salty amongst a crisp crust, served amongst tahini mayo, artichoke heart, wide beans, peas, mint together with lemon.

We noticed posters announcing that Small Axe is similar a shot opened upwards for dinner, too. Since together with then we've heard skilful reports from vegetarian friends who've tried it out. When nosotros transcend inward in ourselves, you'll endure the source to know.

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You tin hand notice read near our source twain of visits to Small Axe Kitchen here. Since together with then it's received unanimous back upwards from blogs A Chronicle of Gastronomy, Hungry Cookie, Melbourne Vita, Sweet together with Sour Fork, and Ferris Wheel Flights.

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Small Axe Kitchen
281 Victoria St, Brunswick
9939 6061
food, drinks
http://www.smallaxekitchen.com/

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size pace on entry (and perchance a flatter entry through the garden side). Tables are densely packed amongst a clear corridor through the middle. Tables exterior convey pocket-size backless stools, high benches inward the front end room convey tall backless stools, together with tables inward the dorsum room convey ordinary backed chairs. We ordered at our tabular array together with paid at a depression counter. We didn't view the toilets.