November 30, 2009: Animate Existence Orchestra

It's funny that this is the start fourth dimension we've blogged Animal Orchestra. Michael as well as I start encountered this cosy cafe earlier we'd fifty-fifty moved to Melbourne; nosotros were staying at an antiquated hotel downwardly the street spell help a conference as well as stopped at that topographic point for several lovely breakfasts. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 converted terrace identify amongst calm grin staff, charming slice of furniture as well as trendy academic customers, Animal Orchestra seemed similar the form of cafe that was typical of Melbourne as well as nowhere to locomote institute inwards our hometown of Brisbane. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 twelvemonth later, right away living nearby, this was where Michael start sampled his electrical flow breakfast favourite, baked eggs.

I don't mean value the carte has changed much inwards the intervening years, but nor create I mind. For dejeuner there's a blackboard of panini, including ii vegetarian options - grilled veges or a to a greater extent than new mixture of mushrooms, chilli, garlic, roasted almonds as well as fontina (each $9). When Michael as well as I met upwards for dejeuner on Monday, nosotros both went amongst the latter. Though it's non especially elegant, this panini is terrific - juicy, earthy as well as savoury, pepped upwards amongst that chilli heat.

Address: 163 Grattan St, Carlton
Ph: 9349 4944
Licensed
Price: veg panini $9

September 22, 2009: The Gem

One of my colleagues has initiated a semi-regular Pub Club, an informal gathering of friends amongst a mutual involvement inwards sampling the beers too pub meals available merely about the inner north. This calendar week it was also an chance for Michael too I to drive the Gem bar for the outset time; we'd heard practiced things virtually the nutrient but hadn't made it to the far side of Smith St. It's a pleasant pubby infinite amongst a rockabilly vibe too a designated dining room tucked circular the side.

The card is typically loud too proud amongst its meaty mains but there's few options for the vegetarian. Many of the sides - such every bit sagnaki, dark-green beans & feta, spinach chilli & lemon, too patatas bravas ($7 each)- audio tasty plenty to justify a sharing-plates strategy. Less inspiring is the pasta amongst napoli too parmesan ($12), too hence hooray for the haloumi burger ($15) listed farther down. Michael too I requested i each too when I noticed garlic aioli listed separately on the card ($1), I pose inwards an guild for that too.

The burger isn't a big 'un however this dish unlikely to teach out anyone hungry. The haloumi is served inwards sizable slabs, amongst a smattering of salad too spicy chutney. Then there's the vast surface area of chips lapping upwards against it - I'm non certain the photograph to a higher house does it justice! Crisp too skinny, these are to a greater extent than fries than chips, to move grabbed unceremoniously yesteryear the handful, dunked liberally inwards aioli too stuffed inelegantly into one's mouth. To create anything to a greater extent than prissy would accept hours to clear the plate, or at to the lowest degree that's what I told myself.

At $15 the haloumi burger too fries is reasonable value, for the quantity every bit much every bit the quality. This doesn't appear to move the illustration across the menu, amongst some of the fancier dishes (e.g. the confit duck leg) coming inwards to a greater extent than refined serves. The Gem's a nice topographic point for a casual repast (and a alive band!) but you lot can't afford to move likewise casual virtually arranging a tabular array - fifty-fifty on a Tuesday nighttime the house was packed out.

Address: 289 Wellington St, Collingwood
Ph: 9419 5170
Licensed
Price: vego snacks & sides $7, mains $12-15
Website: www.myspace.com/thegemcollingwood

November 30, 2009: Marriage Ceremony Hotel Ii

visited it final year but it's likely been a proficient half dozen months since we'd been back, then it was interesting to banking concern tally it out on our latest pub-club jaunt.

The card hasn't changed much, but the publish of veg options seems to convey declined a picayune - if solely because everything on the specials board was meat-tastic. The tofu ($16) that impressed me then much final fourth dimension remains, although it was a picayune less impressive this fourth dimension (see above) - non equally well-cooked in addition to amongst a dressing that lacked the spark of the final trip.

Thankfully, the chips ($6) were ameliorate - crispy, golden in addition to served amongst generous bowls of sauce in addition to lemon mayo (the mayo at Cindy's particular request). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pub tin laissez passer on the axe endure forgiven a lot of it churns out around decent chips.

here.

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Meat-eaters mightiness detect FoodieFi's review a flake to a greater extent than promising.

September 23, 2009: Shepherd's Pie

800th postal service competition. And things are looking upwardly weather-wise, because we're almost there! The penultimate entry was Hannah's shepherd's pie, which was a rich in addition to warming wintertime delight. It's surprising to realise that this is in all likelihood the start fourth dimension we've made a vego shepherd's pie - it seems similar it's a staple for many other non-meat eaters, in addition to subsequently this it may larn a wintertime staple for us every bit well. It's simple, delicious and, every bit nosotros discovered, the leftovers double every bit stunning toasted sandwich filling.

Lentil in addition to mushroom shepherd's pie
2 cans lentils (this was the lazy pick - I'm certain it wouldn't last difficult to start amongst dry out lentils)
1 onion, chopped finely
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped finely
2 modest carrots, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
6 rehydrated shitake mushrooms (keep the broth)
Wine (if you've got to a greater extent than or less spare)
Olive oil
A vegie mash (we used Irish Gaelic patato in addition to carrot, but anything would work)

Fry the onion in addition to celery inward the crude oil until they start to soften. Add the carrot in addition to the garlic in addition to continue frying for to a greater extent than or less other few minutes.

Add inward the lentils, garlic, tomatoes, bay leafage in addition to a splash of vino in addition to stir together. Bring to the boil in addition to hence simmer, adding inward the mushrooms in addition to their soaking liquid.

Simmer things downwards piece yous whip upwardly your mash, in addition to hence pour the bolognese mix into a baking dish, slather the mash on top, grate to a greater extent than or less parmesan over it all if you've got to a greater extent than or less lying around, in addition to hence bake at 180 for close one-half an hour.

We served it (as suggested) amongst steamed brussel sprouts dressed inward a dash of olive crude oil in addition to the juice of one-half a lemon.

December 2, 2009: Vegetarian Hor Fun

pub-outings, Cindy together with I were left amongst a pile of vegie-box leftovers going one-time inward the refrigerator together with a serious postulate for something vaguely well for you lot for dinner. Luckily, vegetarian hor fun!

This is a pretty uncomplicated noodle stir-fry, that uses upwards any vegies you lot bring together with flavours them all amongst a wonderfully sugariness together with salty sauce. I recall I overdid the liquid - no thing how much cornflour I added, my sauce never actually thickened upwards into the gravy that it was meant to. Regardless, amongst the tofu puffs soaking upwards enough of the saucy goodness together with the crisp vegies reminding us that in that place are other ways to gear upwards vegies than deep-fried, this was a quick together with delicious meal. Thanks Pip!


Vegetarian Hor Fun

sauce:
2 cups vegie stock
1-2 tablespoons 'oyster' sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vino (I used sherry!)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil

500g rice noodles (we inappropriately used udon, but they worked simply fine)
chopped vegies (zucchini, carrot, capsicum, choy nub together with mushrooms)
12 fried tofu puffs, halved
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 sliced shallots
a pinch of chilli flakes (thanks to my 'everything tastes meliorate amongst chilli' attitude)

Mix the sauce ingredients together together with educate the noodles.

Heat a tablespoon of the stone oil inward your wok together with stir-fry the noodles for a infinitesimal or hence together with hence take away them from the wok together with laid them aside.

Heat the residuum of the stone oil together with hence stir-fry the ginger, garlic, shallots together with chilli for 30 seconds or so, until you lot showtime to sneeze from the ginger together with chilli fumes.

Throw inward the vegies together with the tofu together with stir-fry everything for v minutes or so, making certain all the vegies are getting simply about of the heat. Once everything is starting to larn tender, pour inward the sauce together with stir it through, simmering until it thickens upwards a bit.

You tin add together a dash to a greater extent than cornflour (premixed amongst a few tablespoons of water) hither if you lot postulate to brand the sauce a chip thicker.

Ladle the saucy vegies over the noodles together with garnish amongst a few cashews. Delightful!

September 25, 2009: Chunky Monkey Shake

Jo's chocolate peanut butter shake is a smoothie inwards shake's clothing. The to the lowest degree well for you lot constituent is a heaped tablespoon of peanut butter as well as I'd last slathering that on my toast anyway, if I wasn't slamming it downwards inwards this smoothie. Because I've started drinking these for breakfast. I can't believe how effectively they're keeping me amount as well as snack-free until luncheon time. It's but a bonus that I experience equally if I'm drinking dessert for breakfast.

The initial constituent proportions attain quite a thick concoction; I've altered them slightly to brand a darker, thinner brew. I've likewise gone as well as renamed it the chunky monkey milk tremble inwards deference to the chunky monkey cookies that characteristic the same combination of cocoa, banana as well as peanut butter. Shake or smoothie, peanut butter-choc or chunky monkey, it's a whole lotta fun.


Chunky monkey shake
(based on the chocolate peanut butter shake at It Ain't Meat, Babe)

1 banana, frozen or fresh
1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 loving cup milk of your pick - dairy's OK but rank almond, oat or soy a go!

Blend everything together as well as drink, drink, drink.

December 2, 2009: Juicy Summertime Fruits

I direct maintain non been a adept calendar cooker this terminal calendar month - it's taken me until the outset twain of days of Dec to educate November's recipe! Initially I pose it off because I hadn't seen whatever prissy summertime rock fruits about, therefore things got wildly sociable in addition to in that place wasn't much habitation cooking or fruit buying going on.

What was worse than my tardiness was my inability to follow a uncomplicated recipe. Skewer fruit, coat fruit amongst melted butter in addition to sugar, shaver in addition to swallow - how difficult tin it be? Well, if it's undertaken inward the latter hours of a weeknight, that's challenge enough. Brushing melted butter onto the fruit shish-kebabs was a petty messy but rolling them inward saccharide was much, much worse. Things reached crisis betoken when I realised that my skewers were likewise long to stand upward for inward the frypan. Argh! I de-skewered the fruit into the pan, chucked inward the remaining butter in addition to sugar, in addition to allow it all bubble away for a few minutes spell I calmed the heck down. When the fruit was tender I transferred it to bowls, in addition to gave the sauce a infinitesimal to a greater extent than to reduce. Once the sauce was done it was into the bowls too, followed past times a scoop of icecream. It wasn't shish-kebabs, but it was tasty.


Fruit shish-kebabs (or fruit shish-kerfuffle)

2 peaches
2 apricots
8 strawberries
30g butter, melted
1/3 loving cup raw sugar
vanilla H2O ice cream, to serve

The official method: Slice upward the fruit in addition to slide the pieces onto skewers. Preheat a frypan (big plenty for the skewers to stand upward for inside!). Brush the fruit skewers amongst melted butter, therefore ringlet them inward the sugar. Cook them for five minutes on each side, therefore serve them warm amongst icecream.

The late-and-lazy method: Preheat a frypan in addition to melt the butter inward it. Slice upward the fruit in addition to add together it to the pan; sprinkle over the sugar. Cook the fruit, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove the fruit into serving bowls in addition to educate the juices downwards to a thicker sauce. Pour the juices over the fruit. Served topped amongst icecream.