tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86164744611300652902024-02-21T03:19:38.924+11:00The New EpicureanYet another food blog.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-5202910310915241462017-04-30T09:44:00.001+10:002017-04-30T09:44:56.897+10:00Misoya Sake Bar, Brunswick <div style="color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
A year ago (!) I belatedly ate at the new-ish ramen place conveniently located close to home in Brunswick. I now belatedly present my findings.</div>
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Having had spectacular vegan ramen in Tokyo, I was aware that it was pretty unlikely I would find something up to scratch in Melbourne. Everyone says so, vegan or omni, but there was some excitement about Misoya opening up and not just because Brunswick was lacking a ramen place. They offered a specifically vegan ramen. Huzzah!</div>
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Craving something richly umami I was very happy when omni friends suggested we go there after seeing a show at the Comedy Festival. </div>
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Alas, even though I suspected it wouldn’t measure up to T’s in Tokyo, I was disappointed further still.</div>
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This is what the vegans get: some broth; a slice of woolly tomato; a dozen kernels of corn; two green beans; a handful of rice noodles; some sesame seeds. </div>
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For ~$17 or $18.</div>
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Setting aside the huge and ridiculous profit margin; setting aside the very poor treatment of veg*ns by a place that has decided we can have but a whisper of what the omnis get; this broth tasted of miso and nothing more complex, the noodles were unremarkable, the vegetables were scant and bland, and overall this was a recipe for kwashiorkor. </div>
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This could have been a lot better with the addition of some better vegetables, mushrooms, and (PLEASE) some protein. And you’d still make a healthy profit on the ingredients.</div>
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I am sick of paying the same or more for vegan options when vegan ingredients are often cheap or the expensive ingredients (egg, meat etc) have been removed. </div>
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Restaurants and cafes of the world, you need to up your game. </div>
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I haven't been back to Misoya, and I won't unless there is good intelligence that things have improved. </div>
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(Note, omnivores seem pretty happy but I guess that's because they're not paying for malnutrition.)</div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-5162380828349059932017-04-28T18:46:00.003+10:002017-04-28T18:46:29.085+10:00Veg*ns rejoice - hemp will be legalised as foodA <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/generalissues/hemp/Pages/default.aspx">sensible decision</a> for a change - Australia will permit low-THC hemp as a food, bringing the country in line with pretty much everywhere else.<br />
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The changes don't take effect for six months after gazettal, so until then it's still body scrubs only.<br />
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I'm surprised that the FSANZ hasn't <a href="https://twitter.com/FSANZNews">tweeted</a> this yet, but maybe they're looking for a suitable gif/meme to inspire them.<br />
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If you aren't aware why hemp seeds <i>should</i> be eaten, see the <a href="https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3614?n1=%7BQv%3D1%7D&fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=&sort=&qlookup=&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=&Qv=1&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=">USDA Nutrient Database</a> values and note the >30% (complete) protein content and excellent fatty acid profile.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-22018285905122006232017-02-04T18:12:00.001+11:002017-02-04T18:12:39.593+11:00Lûmé (April 2016)<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
Another year, another birthday degustation. After seeing Shaun Quade at Sweetfest and noting that he had worked at Royal Mail Hotel, I subtly suggested that Lûmé would be a good place for my mother’s birthday degustation. (I had also suggested Amaru, but she vetoed it on the basis of pictures of the “gloomy interior” - no, I don’t understand either; also Igni, but we weren’t in the mood for a drive to Geelong, which is a bit ridiculous and I know from eating at Loam that we would surely have had a worthwhile trip).</div>
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My interest was piqued by the promise of some more experimental food, but likely not too terrifying for my more conservative mother. </div>
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Lûmé is in a 19th century building on a quiet street in South Melbourne, and this being South Melbourne though the restaurant itself is very elegant and polished, it’s also located close to some seedy brothels. As I said, South Melbourne.</div>
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Service was provided by ridiculously good-looking young staff, who did at least have enough understanding of what they were presenting to answer the odd question. </div>
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It was also interesting to see that the front area of the restaurant is a “casual” dining area - though not that casual - where local, well-heeled baby boomers were enjoying dinner together as though this was their local Saturday night venue. Perhaps it was, fuelled by the riches of negatively geared investment properties. Such a life.</div>
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To the food! With a disclaimer that this is from many months ago. My mother had the usual omnivore menu, I requested my usual awkward vegan and gluten free combination, which they managed with remarkable aplomb. I will also preface this by saying that if you want a degustation with stand-out desserts (and there were many) this is a good option. I’m notoriously not a dessert person, but I was on this night (they were that good). </div>
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Place setting - limed-effect tables and rose gold/copper-toned cutlery, since it was 2016. </div>
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We had a good view of the bar and part of the kitchen which I always enjoy, since there is a definite pleasure in watching professional people at work. </div>
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First up, some small dishes.</div>
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Omni: Eel honey butter and crumpet (a crumpet like no other - apparently all sublime). This helped to appease my mother's inner Bread Monster (she is upset by restaurants that don't provide bread; the quantity she ate at the Fat Duck is legendary).</div>
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Vegan: shaved asparagus and coconut chips (light and crunchy, almost freeze-dried in texture). Obviously not as amazing as a crumpet with butter and honey, but fine in itself. </div>
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Omni: Emu macadamia tart (I think); taco corn crab (not pictured as similar to vegan version, see below).</div>
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Vegan: Jerusalem artichokes in quince broth (which was pleasingly sharp). </div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: taco, smoked baby corn (divine finger food). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: last of summer's fruits.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: last of summer's fruits - can't remember what the missing thing was (present in the omni version) but possibly some sort of mousse or cream. Anyway, it was pretty good without that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">On to the main dishes!</span></div>
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: Sea </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">urchin, abalone, native flavours (I don't seem to have a picture of this).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Vegan: shiitake, fingerlime, native flavours, fresh pistachios. A lot of my favourite things in one dish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: getting into Fat Duck territory now. Pearl oyster, miso caramel, succulents, Meyer lemon rice sand.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: sea flavours, daikon, succulents, rice sand (felt a bit like I was eating a hipster’s terrarium, but delicious. The sand was fascinating). Always glad, too, to have something that is comparable to the omni dish at that course. It means we can both exclaim about the same elements. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Omni: calamari noodles (i.e. noodles made from calamari, I believe).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: celeriac noodles, young coconut (a reprise from earlier though I didn’t mind).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: sunflower seed porridge, mackerel (crispy skin).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: sunflower seed porridge with chestnuts and garlic (superb - I can never get enough chestnuts, which just aren't used enough, and I think sunflower seeds are very underrated).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Omni: happy duck fed on strawberries (my mother has qualms about eating duck because she likes them when they’re alive, but apparently this was regrettably delicious).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: carrots smoked (amazing, amazing texture and intensity).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: cheese, croissant, pear (the cheese is made from cauliflower - amazingly - and the croissant was, I am told, stupendous. A very, very clever and successful dish).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Vegan: cheese and pear (so no sub for the croissant exactly, but a “fossilised” pear, similar technique to the “fallen fruit” I had at Royal Mail years ago, and so something I would happily eat every day forever and ever; the camembert was totally outstanding).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: goat’s curd and berries (ice creamy goat’s curd - I was pretty wistful not to have tried this, and it took all my willpower, as I love goat's curd, or did anyway, as well as frozen desserts).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Vegan: fig granita and berries (a lovely and fresh palate cleanser; the granita was a great success).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Omni: I have no idea what this was. There looks to be a carrot. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Vegan: pear, sorbet (can’t really remember much more except that the sorbet was very, very good; I was on the verge of dessert fatigue by then, but I valiantly ploughed on).</span></div>
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Omni: Piece de resistance - the cacao pod. This is made entirely from chocolate, presented whole on the mat with the ice cream alongside. As it’s being presented, the waiter smashes it open to reveal even more goodies. </div>
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Vegan: cacao pod. Yes, they managed a vegan one with poached fruits and the best non-dairy ice cream I’ve had in my life. </div>
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We couldn’t eat all of the chocolate pod, so we took the rest home (kindly parcelled up for us). We were also given copies of the menu in stylish black envelopes sealed with bronze sealing wax and Lûmé's own seal. Smart. </div>
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I also got to talk to the pastry chef, a lovely young French woman and told her how thrilled I was that she had accomplished several outstanding vegan desserts and that it was probably the best experience I’d had as a vegan. She was very self-effacing but glad for the feedback, especially as it was her first time trying a lot of these dishes and she was rather nervous about how they would be received.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7R3d3DIy1z5Ma7JkK9NL6qjtoWDBZTKfLy3EQxuvt9mLMcvIR_hRe-41dY5AM-2CSIwo4KJVx2LAE-pyrMseU6h_RRHBNpLpy8ZYDCg_oxqf0a7AHWNkauizFxCn0DSX3s7u3UF0TfDTZ/s1600/IMG_1676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>It’s a lesson to other restaurants, who typically might just manage the savoury courses for vegans (<i>just)</i>, but fail spectacularly when it comes to dessert. The internet and specialty vegan places prove you can do amazing desserts without eggs or dairy, so it’s time for haute cuisine to catch up. Some fruit and sorbet is not good enough. </div>
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So in summary, top class food with an unusual intelligence, technical expertise and a laudable inclusive attitude. I would unhesitatingly recommend Lûmé for a special dinner. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-3717826498455154392016-10-07T17:49:00.002+11:002016-10-07T17:49:50.600+11:00Singapore 2015; Tokyo 2015I'm not good at taking holidays. It's not something that really happened as I was growing up and I find it very hard to spend what seems like a lot of money on something so transient. On the other hand, I realise that normal people get pleasure from going to different places, and I also have <i>enough things</i> to sort-of justify spending on experiences.<br />
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Last year was the conclusion of my second go at university. Though I didn't really feel like celebrating, objectively it was a good excuse. My best friend lives in Singapore, and I'd been curious about going, and I'd long wanted to go to Japan ever since flying UK/AU on JAL and adoring the neatness, efficiency and aesthetics. So, Singapore and Tokyo it was.<br />
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<u>Singapore</u><br />
I was warned that it might be difficult being vegan in Singapore. There are places listed on Happy Cow, and more diligent bloggers than I had found out good places to go. But I also wanted to experience Singaporean Singapore. Which meant Hawker food. Which meant potentially having to countenance a bit of egg.<br />
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Actually, I ended up doing reasonably well. My darling friend R negotiated this for my first breakfast: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsmC1hvBkRZ_Hk5zAybM0CjeiWqxEADSfqZNYLcaW_O8I6BF-zOq-_qsGDQdiiPHvh6TJok2d9GgJiamzjXjZ8Nn672N21HfbPivyFRVAzH26EurNfz_8TEvTeU4FR18Y6BiycnrVvLaz/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsmC1hvBkRZ_Hk5zAybM0CjeiWqxEADSfqZNYLcaW_O8I6BF-zOq-_qsGDQdiiPHvh6TJok2d9GgJiamzjXjZ8Nn672N21HfbPivyFRVAzH26EurNfz_8TEvTeU4FR18Y6BiycnrVvLaz/s320/IMG_1294.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'd started eating before I took a picture. Rice, vegetables, fried peanuts; soft, fresh tofu on the side. </div>
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Also eaten: multiple stir fries with vegetables and tofu, with preferred Hawker food being at Newton Food Centre; century eggs (not that bad!); sugarcane juice ("it's not that sweet" - yes, yes it is); lots of cheap coffee that was hardly Melbourne standard but no worse than that in most of the UK; durian (I wouldn't say addictive, but not at all repulsive. More amusing was having to go to the red light district to find it); vegan CKT; fried radish/carrot cake (which I had massive cravings for on my return and managed to find freshly-made stuff at Tokyo Hometown in the CBD); lots of fruit; vegan yum cha; <a href="http://gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com/">vegan Hainanese chicken</a> (which omnivore R said was actually pretty good); mad desserts with jelly and nuts and shaved ice and all sorts of textural variety; kaya toast; plus some beautiful home-cooked food. </div>
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My biggest hugest regret was not trying <a href="https://www.mrbean.com.sg/">Mr Bean</a> non-dairy soya ice-cream (the normal soft serve has milk as well). I am a complete idiot for missing out on this. (Note, I subsequently saw the Shibuya branch as well when in Tokyo, but I think I'd already had my ice-cream quotient for the day.)</div>
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So, Singapore is fine for veg*ns; it would be reasonably easy to be strictly vegan there. It helps to have someone who speaks Mandarin and Hokkien if you want to do Hawker food. Otherwise Happy Cow lists a plethora of options. </div>
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(As for Singapore itself, I liked it a lot. I made R show me the Singapore of Singaporeans, i.e. all the residential areas and where she grew up. The botanic gardens are fantastic, and Gardens by the Bay was pretty too. It's just a bit hot...)</div>
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<u>Tokyo</u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ROXx0vIywe-DaNsVjuEIrqF3Ps7V2gy4DBeoFuGTnA7clcR3fO7tZfbtuLeQub8KLjE6Dgy-cC42RzU-CUnqrjiW9iyH1z0PF9lJl_5yH0zkHhIZ5V_GvJHHU6N0JYMG4OhWsCszesGy/s1600/IMG_1358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ROXx0vIywe-DaNsVjuEIrqF3Ps7V2gy4DBeoFuGTnA7clcR3fO7tZfbtuLeQub8KLjE6Dgy-cC42RzU-CUnqrjiW9iyH1z0PF9lJl_5yH0zkHhIZ5V_GvJHHU6N0JYMG4OhWsCszesGy/s320/IMG_1358.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But of course.</td></tr>
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I flew JAL from Singapore to Tokyo, and - I wish I'd photographed this - had a spectacular vegan airline meal. I can't remember much, other than it was everything one would dream of. </div>
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I had a bit of a sketchy time, food-wise in Tokyo. I did well on my first evening, meeting up with friends from Melbourne and having dinner at <a href="http://ain-soph.jp/">Ain Soph</a> in Shinjuku (where I was staying, though I was at the other end). I can't remember what I had, only that it was <a href="http://ain-soph.jp/wp-content/themes/1.0.0/images/menu-journey-dinner-merged.pdf">evening menu</a> stuff and maybe not as exciting as all this talk on the internet of pancakes etc. My friend (vegetarian-turned-omni; TRAITOR) had the fried veggie meat, which wasn't bad.</div>
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Handily, I had a decent-sized supermarket about 100m from my hotel, where I could get tofu and vegetables to turn into dinner on all the other days when I had otherwise eaten in a fashion NOT appropriate for an adult. (Ice cream/ cakes for lunch!! Sure!!!)</div>
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I had aborted attempts to get to Pure Cafe in Aoyama and a few other places, partly because I didn't feel confident in ordering and partly because I wasn't sure I could manage the set menus that many places offered. This is the big down-side to solo travelling - your food options are limited by stomach capacity and the lack of a companion who will order something different/act as waste disposal unit. </div>
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The weather was milder than expected, but there was one horrible wet day where I walked too far, had a ludicrous breakfast of tofu ice-cream, got soaked going through Harajuku, and by the time I got back to Shinjuku I was fed up and wanted something hot and carby. Behold, the MOS burger. (I've since found out that the veganness of this is in question but I don't care.) </div>
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The "bun" is griddled rice, and it's stuffed with delicious savoury vegetables. It was hot, filling and cheap. Perfect. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJecd_wE15fygn8-8qZu6fML12oHAgyn0-oGVgsJILIZRt5D63WKCzESGdzWg1WA-t5kF07mf_vNRaHyXkGz1BX5nNk18S5BbY176daU6VtdQkhT0GFlI2Iv3yljbv1AfpPtUrgENjA9s/s1600/IMG_1399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJecd_wE15fygn8-8qZu6fML12oHAgyn0-oGVgsJILIZRt5D63WKCzESGdzWg1WA-t5kF07mf_vNRaHyXkGz1BX5nNk18S5BbY176daU6VtdQkhT0GFlI2Iv3yljbv1AfpPtUrgENjA9s/s320/IMG_1399.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I had two separate days of traipsing around Ginza, for shopping and people-watching. The first day I had a very hopeless attempt to find T's Tan Tan at Tokyo train station. Ended up having another excellent lunch of vending machine ice-cream (seriously, Japanese ice-cream is excellent and worth the guilt). On my second attempt, I ascertained that you have to actually enter the station - past the ticket barriers - to find ramen heaven: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8_KayejXyp7ySO5psgkUg8G2aSgCKagOJzkcLkshDmItVK7XS9BqOsX77yqAEfMT5PK93Ipnbxl_u0eOMb3RiUBl4SA1umOuElPln-jkTL2AHLuITT77etq2rzwrFUni9yMz9EQDTYYu/s1600/IMG_1412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8_KayejXyp7ySO5psgkUg8G2aSgCKagOJzkcLkshDmItVK7XS9BqOsX77yqAEfMT5PK93Ipnbxl_u0eOMb3RiUBl4SA1umOuElPln-jkTL2AHLuITT77etq2rzwrFUni9yMz9EQDTYYu/s320/IMG_1412.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'd say this was actually worth it. Relievingly, everyone else around me was hoovering up their ramen rather indelicately, so for the first time in Japan I didn't feel totally gauche. </div>
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On one of my last days I was a bit more organised and bought a bento from the supermarket near my hotel, which I think was merely vegetarian rather than vegan, but honestly just trying to find things without added fish is enough of a challenge. I can't remember how much this cost - not a lot - and I ate it in Ueno Park. It was excellent. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGerl6IUzR941xeO2YW4yRma34lWwx29G4HyaFQ3MT1XxpzoJFIIFFstk0nvHLOkwVLewRfviv9NahCQbkzE_QRLxYn_Tq1Y-NLnf7jPo8Fr-zdhuzIcVlnh3gTnJ4IeDE1Lx2C-n32gv/s1600/IMG_1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGerl6IUzR941xeO2YW4yRma34lWwx29G4HyaFQ3MT1XxpzoJFIIFFstk0nvHLOkwVLewRfviv9NahCQbkzE_QRLxYn_Tq1Y-NLnf7jPo8Fr-zdhuzIcVlnh3gTnJ4IeDE1Lx2C-n32gv/s320/IMG_1474.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Other things:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2bB6aRBibt-orhAshyphenhyphenYCQCjJjueMmrWm_SZuNJqpS-uIDQ1JJ7v2_2vQ05vo5_MeyjxiAszpvHrBZwyZDOn2x3KG4070vNjTaRnx43UOl5iv4Vb4QYHOIyfR7h9d7knHtFU2Kzy4HNlR/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2bB6aRBibt-orhAshyphenhyphenYCQCjJjueMmrWm_SZuNJqpS-uIDQ1JJ7v2_2vQ05vo5_MeyjxiAszpvHrBZwyZDOn2x3KG4070vNjTaRnx43UOl5iv4Vb4QYHOIyfR7h9d7knHtFU2Kzy4HNlR/s320/IMG_1477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heirloom carrot from the supermarket.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN3RrireiPvTLxee9-pK78lWcjZ7v1AEKcFpJJI7VZK45krgTALymsD9CFuu-ivBmcVEeaN2bCH_z529ORejlF7iE8UUanUbJ9shdJqkvTcouk-a4ZWCBJ1ol9EEpPSzthSZVcdX2Ag65/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN3RrireiPvTLxee9-pK78lWcjZ7v1AEKcFpJJI7VZK45krgTALymsD9CFuu-ivBmcVEeaN2bCH_z529ORejlF7iE8UUanUbJ9shdJqkvTcouk-a4ZWCBJ1ol9EEpPSzthSZVcdX2Ag65/s320/IMG_1498.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ludicrously expensive apple in packaging</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqoIB7jBqPebSd0t_xeZRPfTfKobQQLWf2JGEh75eWd5g4Yh8lxNHf7wU-OBZ_WahXxcv_VERaIZcS-R8tN1iq3Y2GDQpV5CNns6fKgzTJVGU3do7zGVKDuubm6yXYIOK2HtZRIgcbmh/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDqoIB7jBqPebSd0t_xeZRPfTfKobQQLWf2JGEh75eWd5g4Yh8lxNHf7wU-OBZ_WahXxcv_VERaIZcS-R8tN1iq3Y2GDQpV5CNns6fKgzTJVGU3do7zGVKDuubm6yXYIOK2HtZRIgcbmh/s320/IMG_1499.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ludicrously apple partially unwrapped; disappointingly, the very expensive apples weren't noticeably better than the already-excellent ordinary ones from the supermarket. </td></tr>
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Not pictured - multiple mochi that I ate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm-Ry01Tx_6A2M5L6qpYsVtU0cfflbvUkuisy_5LzWtkzXgBZQeG3owdtWXKnNPb6Y6IP4_dyU0GueXENWd_PJ5zrfm07vf8zZ7HKofv__xc6WVHzK-ZxdcbhcuTJAZrfSUcBvKWFoXw6/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm-Ry01Tx_6A2M5L6qpYsVtU0cfflbvUkuisy_5LzWtkzXgBZQeG3owdtWXKnNPb6Y6IP4_dyU0GueXENWd_PJ5zrfm07vf8zZ7HKofv__xc6WVHzK-ZxdcbhcuTJAZrfSUcBvKWFoXw6/s320/IMG_1500.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not eaten, but seen at the airport with horror. It's a kit-kat you put in a toaster, a la PopTarts. Mm, diabeeeetus </td></tr>
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Bit of a vegan fail on my part in Tokyo, what with the cakes and ice-cream and all, but again it's actually possible especially with HappyCow help. I found the department store food halls amazing, and the supermarket near my hotel invaluable. I didn't rely so much on the 7-11s and Lawsons etc but they were handy for drinks and vegan jelly, amongst other things. <div>
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After I got back from Tokyo I went through a period of a) detesting anything carbohydrate-y or sweet; b) loathing coffee. After a few months of working as a very-junior doctor, both of these reversed. To the detriment of my skin, I think. </div>
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Anyway, I long to go back to Japan, and do the vegan thing properly. Going to Kyoto is a must. It would also be nice to go again now that I have an income, because holidaying in the limbo period between university and work is a bloody nightmare - all the time to go places, no money to do it. Gahhhh. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-18147464355300368952016-04-24T18:35:00.001+10:002016-04-24T18:35:23.594+10:00Transformer x 3Spanning November and December, surprisingly I managed to go to Transformer no less than three times. My one experience of the Vegie Bar was a little underwhelming, probably because of bad ordering on my part (necessitated by eliminating all the more interesting dishes that wouldn’t be appropriate for takeaway), but I was hopeful that the spectacular experience of the management plus a more sophisticated menu would spell excellent food.<br /><br />I wasn’t disappointed.<br /><br />Visit one was for brunch with my mother. I can’t remember what she had, except it wasn’t vegan and so probably had eggs, but I had the savoury crumpets. I don’t think these were particularly crumpety - more like a hotcake - but they were superbly hearty. Topped with herbs, coconut yogurt, sweetcorn, heirloom tomatoes, avocado and some welcome crunch from red quinoa, these were so good that even the portion size didn’t defeat my enthusiasm.<div>
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<br /><br />Visit two (no photos) came on graduation day, accompanied by my mother, and aunt and uncle who had graciously come down from Sydney to share in the festivities. Slightly incongruously, we drank a bottle of Perrier Jouet 1996 vintage champagne, which had been saved up for 15 years, intended for various celebrations that turned out to be anticlimactic when they came. This time there was real cause for opening the bottle.<br /><br />I had agonised slightly about where we would go for dinner, since I am the only vegan and was outnumbered by voracious omnivores. Fortunately the Transformer dinner menu is so good that we were all satisfied. Indeed, there were exclamations all round for some of the dishes.<br /><br />From memory, we had: <br /><ul>
<li>organic popcorn (wicked)</li>
<li>padron peppers</li>
<li>roasted sweet potato, togarishi, coconut yogurt (we all agreed, this was exceptional)</li>
<li>heirloom carrots (goat’s curd on the side)</li>
<li>grilled king oyster mushrooms (consensus - even better than the sweet potato)</li>
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Visit three (again no photos) was a bigger family gathering with members from intra- and interstate, and international; diners were a mix of vegan (me), vegetarian, pescetarian and omnivore, with assorted food allergies. We went for the feed me option, and though I feel that as the GF vegan I had a slightly less sumptuous selection of dishes, everyone was very impressed with the food. Again, those sweet potatoes and the mushrooms were uniformly regarded as splendid.<br /><br />So in summary. Transformer: a place you can take sophisticated omnivore guests for an excellent meal without any need to apologise for the food being vegetarian. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-64469538743908629262016-04-04T18:44:00.003+10:002016-04-04T18:46:05.460+10:00Cash for CommentFairfax, what has become of you? Granted I have been complaining about standards since 1997, and the partnership with HuffPo has resulted in a homepage wiggling with clickbait, so maybe I am expecting too much. Now the Good Food section is running <a href="http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/thermomix-versus-other-kitchen-allinones-how-they-rate-20160328-gno0pv.html">advertorials</a>. Even more irritating is that you have to get to the bottom of a rather long article to find this out.<br />
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Trying to compete with the monetised end of food blogging doesn't impress.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-59209739983305508802016-02-23T17:42:00.001+11:002016-02-23T19:21:42.850+11:00February - The Glass DenOn Saturdays when lassitude and embarrassment don’t completely overcome me, I go to adult beginners’ ballet classes. Or at least, I did so intermittently last year before taking a few months off. The classes, slightly mortifyingly, don’t seem to be attended by beginners as I see them, rather, women who have done quite a bit of ballet in their past and are now keeping it up in adulthood. Whereas I have not danced, and am very much proving that not only can you not teach an old dog new tricks, you can’t teach grace to a person who has had a lifetime of clumsiness programmed into their cerebellum.<br />
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There are also two consequences of ballet that I didn’t really anticipate. One, is that it is mentally very taxing. I have a hard enough time getting my feet in the right place, let alone arms, posture, head, core, and trying to look graceful. The first class left me as drained as when I sat the GAMSAT. The other consequence is physical - I am not really aware of getting a work out, per se, when doing the class but the following day I am acutely conscious of muscles I didn’t really know I had. <br />
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This being the case, I feel that brunching is a very reasonable way of following a class. Since the school has moved from Brunswick to purpose-build studios in Coburg, this gave me an excuse to try out <a href="http://www.theglassden.com.au/">The Glass Den</a>, a cafe in the old Pentridge Prison redevelopment that apparently caters well for those with awkward dietary requirements. <br />
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The cafe occupies one of the old bluestone gatehouses, renovated and with a pleasant covered area out the back which would, I imagine, be rather nice in the evening. The menu offered various temptations, including black sticky rice pudding, and some rather spectacular-sounding vegan, gluten-free pancakes. Were I not still persistently “off” sweet food, I would’ve been very tempted by the latter, as it’s unusual to get pancakes that are vegan and gluten free.<br />
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I prevaricated over the menu, seeing elements of different dishes that interested me but accompanied by others that were less interesting. I asked if I could build something out of the “sides” selection, only to be told that sides had to be ordered with the eggs-and-toast option. <br />
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Why so prescriptive? One, I was going to have several sides, equivalent in cost (to me) to one of their complete menu items. Two, it is, in fact, my lunch and if I am to eat it perhaps it should be at least slightly to my liking? Three, isn’t the whole point of the hospitality/customer service industry to serve the customer? <br />
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In general, I found the staff disengaged at best. I realise that working in a cafe might not appeal to everyone, but at least pretend that you don’t loathe or resent the customers. I repeatedly had to walk over and get more water for the table because no one was keeping an eye on this. It’s not as though the cafe was very busy. <br />
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I was semi-prepared to order the avocado dish but was quickly advised that it was now $20, on account of avocados having gone up in price. (Note, I don’t see why said cost of fruit should be equivalent to $4; and while I’m at it, paying for avocado at a cafe is a massive rip-off given the total lack of preparation and labour required to slice it and put it on a plate. This is why I usually don’t order the avocado thing.)<br />
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I turned to plan B. The confit pumpkin with beetroot relish toasted sandwich. It looked a bit small and sad, and the bread was absolutely not toasted enough (the beetroot made it unpalatably soggy - a huge crime against sandwiches) but it was pleasant. I did have the feeling that it was missing something from the filling, though, and the rocket didn’t add much. </div>
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The plate was excellent, though.</div>
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My mother had the brioche bun burger thing, which was more like a large steak, with some spectacular piping hot chips. One of the disappointing thing with chips is that they are often rather tepid and lacking in bite, so she was impressed with these. <br />
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It was too late in the afternoon for me to risk coffee, so we paid and left.<br />
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The Glass Den should have a lot going for it, particularly with all the vegan and gluten free options, but I felt a bit let down today. <br />
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ETA: Since drafting this I have seen <a href="http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/glass-den-coburg-cafe.html">Johanna’s extensive review</a>, including her account of having ordered the same vegetable sandwich that I had. I was pretty miffed to see that mine was a sad and diminished version. I don’t think this was just because I had asked for gluten-free bread.<br />
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Incidentally, cafes of Melbourne, if you are going to put a significant mark-up on GF bread at least make it decent. There are good options out there. Moreover, not substantially more expensive than a decent gluten bread - certainly not enough to justify the additional dollars. How I miss the Mule cafe in Brunswick that charged $4.50 (the normal rate!) for a very generous helping of Black Ruby's seeded toast.</div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-15783671954885275752016-02-07T13:24:00.001+11:002016-02-07T13:24:53.364+11:00January brunching - Smith & DaughtersWhat better way to see in the New Year than to meet up with friends for brunch at Smith & Daughters. It had been over a year since my first and last visit, and a slightly tweaked menu had been introduced. <br /><br />I was unsurprisingly flummoxed by the tyranny of choice, which is probably the only down-side of eating at a vegan restaurant. This necessitates a certain amount of strategy - one, don’t order what other people are having if they will let you have a bite; two, don’t order what you could probably do yourself at home; three, maybe try something you wouldn’t normally eat. Sometimes these conflict with internal drives, like cravings or health considerations. <br /><br />I have a long-standing desire to try the mushrooms, but thought it was a bit wintery for a bright, sunny day, and ended up opting for the corn-jalapeño hotcakes and coconut bacon, with the maple butter on the side. I thought this might be a sweet-salty-savoury combination but - to me at least - it was just very, very sweet. I tried a variety of the hot sauces on the table (none of which were hot enough for me - ! - though I appreciated the opportunity to try the Diemen's sauce I was considering buying) to no avail. <div>
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The pancakes were enormous and in triplicate, largely very good (emphasis on large) but with a slight cornflour-y/baking powdery aftertaste which seems common with vegan GF pancakes. The maple butter was pretty excellent, but I’m glad I had it on the side. As for the coconut bacon, maybe I was just so overwhelmed but I couldn’t really detect anything smoky about it and it went pretty soggy with all the syrup. Nor could I discern the jalapenos, but then I am virtually desensitised to all but the most ludicrous of Scoville ratings. <br /><br />I had to get one of my dining companions to eat the third pancake as I could not find room. It was an achievement to manage two, but I couldn’t bear to see the third go to waste. <br /><br />For those who love pancakes, I’d certainly recommend these. For me it was probably a case of bad ordering, and I should’ve known better. Next time, and there will be a next time, those mushrooms! </div>
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I must also make sure I get myself to the Deli <i>soon</i>. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-73518071831818227632015-12-26T09:54:00.000+11:002015-12-26T09:54:00.816+11:00Christmas 2015Christmas isn't really a thing for me or my immediate family. There was some observance when I was a child in the form of pagan decorations (tree, candles etc, largely influenced by my mother's formative years in Germany) but no interest in turkeys, bread sauce and brussels sprouts. <div>
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Once I started cooking as an adolescent, I took some interest in making vast fruited cakes, lovingly fed with brandy for weeks and covered in homemade marzipan and royal icing; enormous loaves of stollen; fragrant fruity, boozy mince pies with orange-scented pastry. </div>
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No longer doing a boring job, which forced me into cooking as a means of relaxation and a sense of feeling useful, complex cookery is somewhat less important to me. Hence my infrequent updates (though I have a small backlog of brunching).</div>
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Nonetheless, I felt I should do something a bit different this year, and so it was that I investigated the possibility of a vegan Christmas roast.</div>
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I thought of nut roasts, but I also wanted to have a go at doing a tofurkey. Unable to decide, I incorporated the bits I liked of the former into the stuffing for the latter.</div>
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And so we have this - salad, braised red cabbage with figs and raspberry vinegar, steamed snow peas and broccolini, roasted sweet potato, tofurkey with chestnut stuffing, gravy. </div>
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Tofurkey as follows.</div>
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Put something heavy (I used a bottle of sparkling wine) on top of a 450g packet of firm tofu, or use whatever method you like to press it.</div>
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Put about 10g of dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water; leave for 20 minutes.</div>
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Saute 200g sliced chestnut mushrooms; season. </div>
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Put a tin of unsweetened chestnut puree into a food processor with fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, a tablespoon of yeast extract (I use Mighty Mite, loathing Kraft), pepper. Blitz. Add the cooked mushrooms and porcini. Pulse so that it is partly amalgamated but there are still mushroom bits. Add a tablespoon or so of ground linseed and mix well, then stir in 50g dried cranberries. </div>
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Line a small (450g) loaf tin with baking paper.</div>
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Drain off the liquid from the pressed tofu. Crumble the tofu into a mixing bowl. You want it very well crumbled, i.e. like breadcrumbs. Add 2 tbs nutritional yeast, a tonne of dried herbs, salt and pepper. If you have Massel chicken stock powder, use that (I didn't). </div>
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Use about 2/3rds of the tofu to line the bottom and sides of the loaf tin. Press it down firmly. Fill with the stuffing mixture. Use the rest of the tofu to cover the top. Bake until cooked. My mother's awful oven has to be set at 200˚C and required about an hour and a half before it was done, but a normal oven will probably be more efficient. </div>
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Give it a few minutes to cool, then slice with a sharp, preferably serrated, knife. </div>
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Firms up well in the fridge later. I am looking forward to leftovers. </div>
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Note that this probably isn't conventional stuffing. I can't remember eating stuffing but I get the impression it is usually quite dry - I didn't use breadcrumbs or similar, so mine is more moussey. It is probably misleading to call my mixture stuffing in that sense, but it works nonetheless.</div>
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As an emergency I used Orgran gluten-free vegan gravy mix, which I would NOT recommend in future. Make something less weird and salty! </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-37413268458151870362015-09-20T18:07:00.001+10:002015-09-20T18:07:12.672+10:00Feast of MeritIt's been a long time since proper brunch happened. The last few months have been hectic and exhausting, at least compared with the beginning of the year, with both revue rehearsals and shows coinciding with an unexpectedly time-consuming hospital rotation.<br />
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I had a break from veganism, and discovered that I don't like cheese and yogurt as much as I thought I did, and am more or less returning to a completely plant-based diet (though I am going to squeeze a trip to Messina soon so I can convince myself I don't really like gelato either).<br />
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Meanwhile, Spring is coming in fits and starts, and today was a glorious opportunity to break out the SPF50 for a bike ride south of the river to celebrate a friend's birthday.<br />
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The location was <a href="http://www.feastofmerit.com/">Feast of Merit</a>, which I have had bookmarked in my "To Eat" folder since it opened, ticking both gastronomic and ethical boxes (profits go to <a href="http://ygap.com.au/">YGAP</a>).<br />
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The menu is middle east-inspired, which works so perfectly in Melbourne whatever the season and the dietary requirements of the diners. Indeed, I was torn between a sweetish, breakfasty thing or a more lunchy savoury thing - that is, muesli versus two of their salads (available for vegans today were the roast pumpkin and chickpea, and broccoli and hummus).<br />
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Having foregone muesli on previous occasions because it was too cold, I had to get my fix. The menu lists this as "Ginger, barberry and macadamia Yousli, spiced almond milk,
seasonal fruit - Uncrystallised ginger, dry roasted macadamias, pistachios,
organic puffed amaranth, toasted coconut flakes, barberries, organic currants,
activated buckinis, raw buckwheat, raw cinnamon."<br />
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I was slightly put off by the thought of the ginger - I use it copiously in stir fries, and am addicted to the pickled stuff, but don't particularly like it in a sweeter context. And, when it came to eating it, I was mildly alarmed by its presence. Similarly, the spiced almond milk was initially quite overbearing. However, these elements were mitigated by the muesli itself, and I appreciated the macadamias and pistachios, as well as the poached fruit. (Reminding me that I have a bunch of rhubarb in my fridge that has yet to be dealt with.)<br />
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When I saw the salads that others in the group ordered, I had a pang of food envy, but I wasn't disappointed by my choice. A good effort, and good feelings all round.<br />
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The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-16557872565955021822015-06-08T17:00:00.000+10:002015-06-08T17:00:01.827+10:00Supermarkets and superficiality<div>
There has been a very half-hearted attempt in Australia, following a half-hearted attempt in the UK and slightly less half-hearted in Europe, to embrace fruit and veg that don’t fit some weird Photoshopped Platonic ideal. Woolworths, which is otherwise open to criticism for their unimpressive and extortionate offerings, is pretending to be responsible by selling slightly knobbly tomatoes etc in “The Odd Bunch” packaging (the packaging is a big fail: too much plastic) for only slightly-inflated prices. <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/ugly-fruits-and-vegetables-the-supermarkets-reject-20150402-1mcilm.html">Other groups</a> are apparently trying to educate the public that just because it looks weird doesn’t mean it tastes funny (or vice versa).</div>
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Anyone who eats a reasonable amount of fresh food and hates the duopoly has probably cottoned on to shopping at greengrocers and markets, where the apples are far from round, the cucumbers bendy, and the carrots range from friendly to obscene. <br />
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I particularly like selecting the most unusual looking carrots from my preferred organic greengrocers, and <a href="http://www.catescates.com.au/">I know I am not the only one</a>. Personally, I will take whatever laughs I can get.<br />
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I also have no qualms about a mango with a spot or two, an aubergine with bruises (since they get cooked into tenderness anyway), or a bunch of kale with the odd yellowed leaf. In many cases, these things are either removable or can be cooked into oblivion. In the case of ripe fruit, I chop it up and keep it in the freezer, as an alternative to Hepatitis A berries in my smoothies.<br />
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Be confident. <br />
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One of my local organic shops sells random selections of slightly tired fruit and veg, with the invocation to "Embrace the Ugly". I am more than happy to do so as this is virtually the only way organic food is affordable on a student budget. Less depressingly, it also forces me to try different things and cook different foods, though I was too intimidated by the basket that had a couple of artichokes in it.<br />
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I think that it’s a pity that the variety and spontaneity of organic* shapes are so derided, be it our food, our trees being lopped to accommodate man-made structures, our animals being selectively bred for peculiar and unhealthy novel characteristics, et cetera.<br />
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It doesn't take a great leap of imagination to draw parallels with the pursuit of perfection in humans (career, status, appearance). We live in a ridiculous, superficial, easily-manipulated era.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*this time, not in the sense of an agricultural practice.</span></div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-5152108038706988502015-05-30T13:12:00.001+10:002015-05-30T13:12:12.551+10:00BookmarksAt some point during a rash "tidy up" of my bookmarks folder, I realise I must have managed to delete all of my recipe bookmarks, which I had compiled and categorised over some ten years and three computers.<br />
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After a moment of horror, I relaxed.<br />
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It's bad enough that I have had to place a moratorium on buying cookery books because of my inability to actually follow a recipe, but the hundreds of blogs etc I had bookmarked were just another reminder of my failure to Do Things.<br />
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Technically, I have backups on an external hard drive, and technically I am sure I could restore my bookmarks, but I think I will liberate myself from another troubling sense of obligation.<br />
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Well, until I see another weird and wonderful use of chickpeas, that is.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-14247985476229522432015-04-26T11:50:00.002+10:002015-04-26T11:50:29.326+10:00Mini Pumpkins, DaiyaI wasn't sure whether the mini pumpkins that appeared in the supermarket were worth bothering with, as too often novelty items end up being a one-time experiment never to be repeated when the results disappoint.<br />
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That said, I have a completely normal streak of neophilia, and any new fruit or vegetable usually finds its way home eventually.<br />
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Though nothing compared with Sydney, the weather in Melbourne was nasty enough to justify having the oven on for a while, and so I decided to make use of one of the two mini pumpkins that had sat in my fridge for over a week.<br />
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I cut the top off, with much more ease than most pumpkins, and left the seeds in (as far as I am concerned, they are a bonus not waste) before roasting at 180˚C for a little over an hour.<br />
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I also recently got my mitts on some Daiya pepper jack "cheese", which I used to fill the cavity of the pumpkin and gave it another five minutes in the oven.<br />
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Though I am completely unconvinced by the hype about the Daiya, this "cheese" filling worked well. The whole thing cooks to a sweetly caramelised, soft consistency, and all is edible except for the tough stem. This also means there is a marked advantage over normal sized pumpkins, which require a) tedious and dangerous hacking; b) can be less consistently delicious when cooked.<br />
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With some broccoli and parsnip sautéed in coconut oil, garlic etc, this was a lovely autumn treat for dinner.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-43758183031404572772015-04-15T17:48:00.001+10:002015-04-15T17:48:33.303+10:00Quince and Pepita CakeMy grandmother’s semi-wild garden has a number of fruit trees, yielding fabulous pesticide-free Fuji apples, pears, and a profuse number of quinces. <br /><br />Writers wax lyrical about the quince’s perfume, recommending leaving them in a bowl for visual and olfactory pleasure, but I find that this is more a constant reminder that Something Must Be Done with the damn things. They keep for quite a while at room temperature, but not forever, and it has been known for knobbly blighters to decompose while I work myself up to addressing them.<br /><br />The main problem is that they must be cooked for aeons. Yes, one can go down the route of a long, slow roast, as preferred by Maggie Beer and avowed by Nigella Lawson, but this requires an oven that is trustworthy enough to be left on and some psychic ease in letting fossil-fuelled electricity flow for several hours. <br /><br />Since neither of these conditions apply to me, and I am impatient, I opt for a pressure cooker. This means that the worst I have to contend with is a) washing the pressure cooker and b) cutting the quinces. Rather than raise the risk of slicing a digit off, I opt for cutting them in half, leaving the cores in, and then poaching. The cores are much more easily removed afterwards. Nor do I bother removing the skin, as this is perfectly edible when cooked but can be slipped off easily if not desired.<br /><br />This is how I deal with quinces:<br /><br />Take 4 quince, scrubbed to remove the downy covering, and cut in half. Put in the pressure cooker. <br /><br />Add 4-6 cardamom pods, crushed to allow the seeds out, and 2 star anise. Add enough water just to cover. Seal the pressure cooker, bring it to full pressure then turn the heat down (it should stay at full pressure) for 30-45 minutes. When the time’s up, turn off the heat and allow to cool. When it’s cool enough, the pressure cooker will be ready to open. <div>
<br />The quinces will be soft, and red. Once cool enough to handle, it is a trivial matter to remove the cores and then do what you want with them. Some of mine have been reserved for eating with muesli, the rest for the following cake.<br /><br />Note that no sugar is added - they are still a little sharp, but cooking does bring out natural sweetness. I think it is unnecessary to add sugar to the poaching liquid, and very messy.<br /><br />The poaching liquid can be strained and kept - either as it is, or cooked with sugar to make a syrup<br /><br />And so to the cake.</div>
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<br /><br />This is vegan and gluten free; those who do not share my scepticism about alternative sweeteners (namely that rice malt syrup is ok) may also class it as low sugar. <br /><br /><ul>
<li>5 cooked quince, cored and chopped; quince poaching liquid.</li>
<li>2 tbs ground linseed/flaxseed, mixed with 6 tbs water - leave for several minutes to gel </li>
<li>Combine and mix well:</li>
<ul>
<li>1 cup banana flour</li>
<li>1 cup millet flour</li>
<li>3/4 cup tapioca starch</li>
<li>2 heaped tsp baking powder</li>
<li>3 tsp spices (I used a Gewürtzhaus mix, the name of which I have forgotten; they are all excellent)</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract</li>
<li>100g pepitas/pumpkin seeds</li>
</ul>
<li>Combine: </li>
<ul>
<li>1/2 cup apple sauce</li>
<li>40g coconut oil (melted if the ambient temperature isn’t high enough)</li>
<li>100g rice malt syrup</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Then, add the wet ingredients to the linseed mix. Add this to the dry ingredients. Add the chopped quince. Add enough quince poaching liquid to make a thick batter. Put in an 8” springform tin, greased and lined if necessary, and bake at 180˚C for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. <br /><br />The usual caveats about liquid amounts and cooking time apply - adjust as necessary. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-88418059953662163142015-04-13T18:27:00.001+10:002015-04-13T18:27:13.343+10:00JackfruitCome on, <i>The Guardian</i>, you're years behind the curve on <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2015/apr/12/green-jackfruit-vegetable-pulled-pork">this one</a>!<br />
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I have yet to try the pulled pork method, but I can vouch for a jackfruit bourguignon. Take onions, brown in oil. Add diced carrot. Add drained, ripped-up jackfruit, some wine (I used a pinot noir), tomato paste, Massel "beef" stock. Thyme and bay leaves. Cook for c. 30 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms, give it another 5-10 minutes.<br />
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I promise that the precise quantities don't really matter. Especially when you drink the rest of the wine.The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-73824176038223334662015-03-28T14:13:00.001+11:002015-03-28T14:13:04.924+11:00BerlinI managed to take off my hair-shirt last year, and permitted myself a (short) Holiday in Berlin (listening to Frank Zappa the entire time). Sadly for my extremities, this was in December and I spent the whole time cold and wet. Happily for my brain, I consumed All Of The Culture (Wittgenstein graffiti!!), and a fair amount of the food. <br /><br />Indeed, my selection of hotel was premised entirely on it being located at the midpoint between the main museums and galleries, and the hipster district, Kreuzberg; the hipsterishness being verified by the concentration of vegan cafes. <br /><br />On my first night, I trekked down to the main part of Kreuzberg, where I found a Kaisers, and on the way home the very excellent LPG Biomarkt. This doesn’t sell gas for your car, but is a gigantic organic/healthfoods shop. This provided me with the means for a somewhat cobbled together dinner, but no less delicious. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQhJK3ByzJBLPJR7MbGyRkJjJQvtYFQhkC_IPeuU9D6-hBYitJGsgOGdRSo5Qq_Y3jokx7nA29uzbemiGQDYkuaoqkI_V_d2oeNToeJ5PAnfnP9rpkJAjlisnkQntvmOIdmoRvzhwqhGd/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQhJK3ByzJBLPJR7MbGyRkJjJQvtYFQhkC_IPeuU9D6-hBYitJGsgOGdRSo5Qq_Y3jokx7nA29uzbemiGQDYkuaoqkI_V_d2oeNToeJ5PAnfnP9rpkJAjlisnkQntvmOIdmoRvzhwqhGd/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">You can’t get much more echt than real bread, wurst, and a bloody big gherkin. </span><br />
<br />Interestingly, though the wurst was completely vegan, it tasted eerily like the (animal) wurst I had in Germany as a child. Spooky verisimilitude.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileKZkasZBnSv7ZqGNyzacmXTZYdinePhJbQqFpEBoFDhXc-LnblJZptogO9CT33zdy5sh7MWpc62SqvtQtunhTzQoxB3HrtN6OSUhYCIZwFzahpGD1NeNC7Uqt3LmYJrRg8BHwX3D7yPK/s1600/IMG_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileKZkasZBnSv7ZqGNyzacmXTZYdinePhJbQqFpEBoFDhXc-LnblJZptogO9CT33zdy5sh7MWpc62SqvtQtunhTzQoxB3HrtN6OSUhYCIZwFzahpGD1NeNC7Uqt3LmYJrRg8BHwX3D7yPK/s1600/IMG_0912.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">At the bottom left there is a doughnut; I was foolishly trying to photograph this with one hand while trying to not get the whole thing completely soaked by the continuous rain.</span> </td></tr>
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Other eats in Berlin involved pretzels (surprisingly no better than the good ones in Melbourne), sufganiyot (it was hanukkah at the time, so I went to a vegan-friendly Jewish bakery; also conveniently this was a Berliner. Two birds, one stone!) and vegan Currywurst, wolfed on the most miserably cold day of all. And lots of bread. Bread bread bread. I paid the price for this, but it was probably worth it. <div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Currywurst. I..e mock meat, dusted with curry powder, and covered in sauce. Not entirely convinced that this counts as a regional delicacy.</td></tr>
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I also had the only good coffee of my entire 2 months outside of Australia in Berlin, courtesy of Five Elephant. Unsurprisingly, the young woman who served me was from Melbourne. Natürlich!<br /><br />Though I was on a mission to visit Veganz in Prenzlauer Berg, there were Veganz concessions in branches of Kaisers, and other supermarkets (Aldi, REWE) had pretty decent selections of vegan food. I got some organic vegan pate at Aldi, for instance, which was something ridiculous like one euro. Top marks for the bio soja drink in a glass bottle, too. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbZFDWtiPkQU3eanL4Xx7aqSeJ4RsN-FDhprGsaW8Qkxq-ienZYE5P6K-uUNhSjd7uI9wXJ6N57bnF_S7J-WgWfCNnJm9xoFaTtaigAkYH5rDftWcu7f4lyfPWIrwkqD3ipTvqjkzyWsa/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbZFDWtiPkQU3eanL4Xx7aqSeJ4RsN-FDhprGsaW8Qkxq-ienZYE5P6K-uUNhSjd7uI9wXJ6N57bnF_S7J-WgWfCNnJm9xoFaTtaigAkYH5rDftWcu7f4lyfPWIrwkqD3ipTvqjkzyWsa/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classy glassy. Even plant milk tastes better in glass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan mecca</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3dItnOKaVuc4JbRtsDyJV7aQ-GsXc6oNocAWq7RSrSNHd4T2ZvNU3jPsayp4FAtnYXXxw02pQnO0-ggnYnx1_ckYzzd7bk527UWIRfhGYDPwQqJLa8DpkHt7yLESeCY4P5KZSFyuCC0Y/s1600/IMG_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a> I did make it to Veganz, and came out with more German “meats”, and vegan chocolate (white chocolate with cherries; “milk” chocolate with peanut butter). It was hectic, busy, and my browsing was somewhat hampered. Quite possibly they never have quiet times, a la Terra Madre. </div>
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I wasn't completely enraptured by Berlin, probably because I spent more time in the Big City bits (i.e. too much like any big city) than I wanted. Next time I will explore Kreuzberg, Neuköln and Prenzlauer Berg properly. I would also recommend going with another person, because that way more stomachs = more food to try. </div>
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The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-60422944957965889042014-09-09T11:40:00.002+10:002014-09-09T11:40:20.372+10:00Running, life etc. <b><u>Running</u></b><div>
<br />Next month I am competing (how ridiculous it seems to use that word) in the half marathon that is part of the Melbourne Marathon Festival. It will be my second half, so I have some idea what to expect, but my first since the unpleasantness of my metatarsal stress fractures. Since April, I have been back in my usual routine of alternate day runs around Princes Park, ranging from two to five laps, with a couple of runs with the Running Fit run group thrown in. With just over a month to go, I have yet to have a trial of 21.1km, or even the 6-lap runs I managed on weekends before the Run Melbourne half I did last year.<br /><div>
<br />I feel moderately queasy about this, and would have hoped to have got my long run miles up by now. However, the joys of a paediatrics rotation has meant that I have spent much of the last two months with a succession of viral and other infections, requiring a bit more rest/antibiotics/sneaky steroids. <br /><br />I am hoping that with my Women’s rotation coming up next, I am going to be less exposed to novel pathogens. Plus the weather is picking up, making morning runs much less unpleasant.<br /><br />(As a parting gift from the Children’s Hospital, I have come down with a sore throat and big nodes again. Thanks kids. Appreciated. </div>
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I am using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nin_Jiom_Pei_Pa_Koa">this</a>, courtesy of my lovely friend R. The Engrish states that it contains semen, which just goes to show why you shouldn't rely on Google Translate.)<br /><br /><u><b>Food Finds</b></u><br />“Gluten free” oats, from Terra Madre (also spotted at La Manna Organics; Aunt Maggie’s) have made a welcome addition to breakfast, in the form of overnight oats. Particularly good when soaked in Bonsoy (my birthday splurge). The Australian official line is that GF oats aren’t really a thing, contrary to what is acceptable in the UK and US. I’ve not noticed any symptomatic response either way, but that doesn’t mean much. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sanitarium.com.au/products/breakfast/weet-bix/gluten-free">GF Weet-Bix</a> - surely a misnomer, since there is no wheat. I’ve tried the plain sorghum ones, which taste pretty much like normal Weet-Bix, i.e. blah. On the plus side, vitamin and mineral fortified and fairly low in sugar (especially compared with other cereals). Bought as a novelty, and not very rationally at that, since I don’t actually like Weet-Bix. Even so, I am still prepared to give the sunflower seed version a go. God, the gullibility of neophilia.<br /><br />Pistachio nut butter - from Terra Madre. Another birthday splurge and well worth every cent. This did not last long.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ridiculouslydelicious.com.au/">“Ridiculously Good” peanut butter</a> - from the local IGA. I’d hesitate to say it really is ridiculously good. It’s <i>pretty</i> good. It’s better than bog standard peanut butter, but given the cost you’d want it to be. The Murray River salt is a nice addition, but I don’t think it offers more than the fresh PB you can get at Terra Madre, Wholefoods etc for a lot less money.<br /><br /><a href="https://lovingearth.net/products/115/caramel-chocolate-raw-organic">Loving Earth Caramel Chocolate</a> - this is pretty good, but I probably won’t buy again since I really prefer the very, very dark and bitter chocolate. (That said, I’m open to trying the Salted Caramel variant.)<br /><br />Parsnips - not a food find, but the first time in ages that I’ve had them. I’d forgotten how great they are roasted.<br /><br />Domino’s GF pizza - the first time in my life I have bought takeaway pizza, and my embarrassment at going somewhere like Domino’s (as opposed to a nice, independent, doesn’t-advertise-on-TV place) was overcome when I discovered that the pizza is actually pretty good. Then again, with an extra fee of 2.95 for the GF base, it’s to be hoped. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.mayvers.com.au/mayvers-pure-state-dark-chocolate-super-spread/">Mayver’s Dark Chocolate Super Spread</a> - this is basically crack, and I don’t trust myself to buy it again.<br /><br />Hemp - eating hemp seeds is about as rebellious as I get. I had <a href="http://goodwebsite.co.uk/en/good-products/good-hemp-food/good-hemp-milk">hemp milk</a> in England (thanks Tesco!) and loved it. The DIY version works just as well, and I’ve enjoyed sprinkling the seeds onto salad, smoothies etc. <br /><br />Balls - i.e. dried fruit and nuts blitzed in the Vitamix. I cannot bring myself to use the other terms for them e.g. Bliss Balls (so vile). I like adding protein powder, maca, mesquite, cacao and have found that those ingredients will also successfully mask spirulina and other (thoroughly revolting) green powders. I find 100g dates, 50g nuts, 10g protein powder works as a template.</div>
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Cauliflower "pizza" - this was an epic fail, and I blame my oven which alternates between burning everything or creating a hot, soggy mess. </div>
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The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-46760639067145154452014-08-08T16:51:00.001+10:002014-08-08T16:51:42.516+10:00Admiral Cheng-Ho II - 23 June 2014Winter finally hit Melbourne, although the ridiculously warm autumn obviously confused the local flora: trees are budding and there has been a host of daffodils outside the Grainger Museum for weeks.<br /><br />On a horribly blustery and wet day, I made my way to Collingwood to meet up with a friend and her delicious, beautiful, bright five-month-old daughter. Though the area is replete with brunch options, we settled on Admiral Cheng-Ho, since I knew from last time that it has a multitude of choice for GF vegans. I had also intended to go a few days earlier, but ended up having vegan phở at Fina’s in Richmond (which was, as it happened, perfect given I was incubating a vile virus). <br /><br />The menu had had a few subtle changes since my last visit, and I was beset by indecision. Sweet or savoury? Do I have what I had last time, since I enjoyed it so much?<br /><br />Plenty of dishes looked divine on paper, but Reason pointed out that a few could more-or-less be replicated at home. Whilst I love avocado & toast variations, for instance, I have a bag of avocados in my kitchen so it would be ludicrous to pay someone else to feed me this.<br /><br />After drinking most of my long black, I eventually settled on The Admiral - zucchini and kale fritters with seasonal vegetables (carrots and beans), beetroot relish and cashew cream (and sunflower seeds).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />What the photo doesn’t really indicate is how substantial the fritters were. If they hadn’t been so madly delicious I would’ve struggled to finish, but the combination of perfectly crisp exteriors and smooth vegetal interiors proved to be irresistible. The beetroot (with microherbs) gave a lovely earthy freshness, and the cashew cream and seeds added a sophisticated and technically adept finesse. <br /><br />Perfect food for lousy, cold weather, and more than sustaining for a walk and bike ride home through the wind and rain some hours later. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-59710001935737173512014-07-05T17:50:00.001+10:002014-07-05T17:50:14.340+10:00Cornish Arms - February 2014Finally - I sampled the Cornish Arms’ vegan fish and chips. After a 36-hour fast (thanks to a medical procedure) I was more than in the mood for pub grub. I had planned to go to the Sweetwater Inn, but by the time I was discharged I couldn’t face the thought of going to South Yarra when I had the Cornish round the corner from home.<div>
<br />This is obviously pre-GF regime (indeed, it marked the end of a rather vile gluten challenge), as the batter contained both flour and beer. It was pretty damn worthwhile the ordeal, though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG6owymY6QUhUC1OVvCMGbEfTn5B1zJxutBd0O9XKy0XklaeRP-H4zTKhX0OoqgQfThYYoiig12dG7Ei2HPqhsAa2xNWrav9BrOAMqwyc2K_o0G2W3ONhMQ4IvsMdLp9FhfpkXOZdkSNe/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG6owymY6QUhUC1OVvCMGbEfTn5B1zJxutBd0O9XKy0XklaeRP-H4zTKhX0OoqgQfThYYoiig12dG7Ei2HPqhsAa2xNWrav9BrOAMqwyc2K_o0G2W3ONhMQ4IvsMdLp9FhfpkXOZdkSNe/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /><br />The three whopping chunks of battered “fish” tasted very much like the vegan cod I had bought from Vincent Vegetarian Food in Footscray, on a mad mock-meat-buying extravaganza, but beautifully beer-battered. If you’re curious, it doesn’t really taste fishy as such - there is a little nori, I think, to evoke the sea - but the texture is probably a reasonable analogue.<br /></div>
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The chips were, as per my past experience of the Cornish Arms, absolutely perfect. (I am incredibly fussy about chips - unless they are perfect I don’t want to know of them. Most chips are mediocre, if not crap, so it’s generally easy to resist.)<br /><br />A bit of salad was a welcome addition. I know some people would see it as superfluous, or even a joke, but I actually like a bit of greenery amongst the batter. The tartare sauce was also welcome, and vastly nicer than any tartare sauce I'd had in pre-veg*n days.</div>
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<br />I’d try to make it to the Cornish Arms more often, but the substantial meals tend to necessitate extreme hunger, bordering on hanger, that I can’t be bothered to invoke very often. I do have another half-marathon approaching later in the year, though…</div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-5400406301201897282014-06-23T19:33:00.000+10:002014-06-23T19:33:16.186+10:00The Grain Store - 22 April 2014<br />
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In the midst of my rural GP placement in Mildura, the Easter holidays arose, giving me an excellent opportunity to come back to Melbourne, meet up with one of my favourite people and do one of my favourite things - brunch.<br /><br />My lovely companion suggested The Grain Store - I had already drooled over the menu online, with great delight that it had options for awkward dietary-requirement types. <br /><br />I was more impressed still when I arrived to find one of the most aesthetically pleasing cafes in all of Melbourne - very much on a par with those in well-heeled parts of London. <br /><br />The staff were also very patient with me and my awkward enquiries about what could and couldn’t be adapted from the menu, including suggesting a build-your-own from the toast + sides menu. <br /><br />In the end I opted for the default vegan/GF item, currently listed as “Vegan cauliflower, quinoa & amaranth pops - roasted pumpkin hummus, goji berries, parsnip crisps, nigella seeds”. I think this has changed since April, however, as I had beetroot and endive rather than parsnip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfQNFYUkoQH42bui-tziluxokeQCEw-WqyL97GJhR-so0YGYVI1jF_gcMEb3dH5aZ5y7B7PXDyyRYSnm9n5xRp7qWZ33yC-L4F1LEu0jKTfxchdkgb8ISPHn_7KCJ3lM8eOg4hx_8GZT0/s1600/IMG_0543.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfQNFYUkoQH42bui-tziluxokeQCEw-WqyL97GJhR-so0YGYVI1jF_gcMEb3dH5aZ5y7B7PXDyyRYSnm9n5xRp7qWZ33yC-L4F1LEu0jKTfxchdkgb8ISPHn_7KCJ3lM8eOg4hx_8GZT0/s1600/IMG_0543.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />This was a spectacular and pretty dish. A marvellous combination of textures and tastes, from the velvety-smooth and sweet pumpkin hummus to the crunchy, savoury quinoa and amaranth, to the chewy and tart goji berries. I wouldn’t have thought of using goji berries in a largely savoury context, but it’s an idea worth using in other iterations.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Grain Store has had its fair share of attention and positive reviews. Indeed, when I tried to go for coffee a few Sundays ago it was packed and we faced a 30 minute wait. All I can say is that it is worth a visit - there is surely something for everyone to enjoy, in civilised surroundings - just perhaps try to go on a weekday. </div>
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Much anticipated, Smith & Daughters opened while I was on my rural GP rotation - an experience that could not have been more different to that of my normal life living in the cyclist-vegan-Green paradise that is the Inner North.</div>
<br />What this meant was that while I was being compared to livestock (“Jeeze girl, you look like you need to spend a year in the lucerne paddock!”), my hysterically flighty internet connection brought forth a flurry of Facebook and blog posts from those who were enjoying the latest addition to the Fitzroy epicentre of vegan cuisine. <br /><br />“Damn you, Melbourne. I’ll be back soon and I’ll get my fill of plant-based Mexican deliciousness,” I vowed.<br /><br />Following my return, a completely ridiculous amount of time then passed, in which I luxuriated in the convenience of the new Aunt Maggie’s in Brunswick (kale!!), resumed making my protein powder concoctions, and had the relief of seeing my weekly food bill drop dramatically in price. <br /><br />The insanity of a voluntary exam - for only medical students would be so crazy to opt for additional testing, which has no effect on actual university marks and is therefore just a weird masochistic exercise in realising, Socrates-like, that one knows nothing - presented a valid excuse for a lunch treat. <br /><br />After three hours of sitting semi-motionless filling out an MCQ sheet, my dining companion and I were both slightly frozen. She was at a greater disadvantage having got thoroughly drenched during her bike ride in (a rare advantage of my leaving-it-to-the-last-minute habit: I missed the downpour). A quick bike ride brought us to the warmth of Smith & Daughters, which was also, mercifully, not crammed with people.<div>
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After some slight confusion about what could and couldn't be done gluten-free, my brunching companion and I ended up choosing the same item - the Mexican omelette with corn tortillas. Accompanied by, in my case, a long black. My companion had a cappuccino with coconut milk. </div>
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<br />I was pretty ravenous by the time this came out, but managed to pause long enough to drown the above in Cholula sauce (I am finishing off a bottle at home, and know that for me it is pretty mild). </div>
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The omelette thankfully did not replicate an eggy dish in flavour; texturally it was more like a savoury pudding. The sauces and avocado brightened up the dish, visually and in terms of flavour, and the corn tortillas were by far the best I've had. Best of all, the cast iron pan - though scorching hot initially - was another welcome source of warmth. </div>
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So my Smith & Daughters desire has been partially sated - I need to sample the evening menu next, obviously. </div>
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<li>I hate what corporatism is doing to nations and peoples. </li>
<li>I despise marketing, which maintains the above.</li>
<li>I will not buy junk, and so most shops (supermarkets and retailers generally) do not acknowledge me as they have nothing worthwhile on offer.</li>
<li>I despair at the cult of the lowest common denominator.</li>
<li>I refuse to buy imported produce. Having grown up in England, I appreciate Australia as a primary producer par excellence, and it is criminal to eschew home-grown food for something laden with food miles.</li>
<li>My tastebuds are still very much intact.</li>
<li>As a full-time student in the midst of a career change, I have a risibly tight food budget. That story on News Ltd's website about sticking to a $35 weekly food budget? Luxury!</li>
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I shop opportunistically. I trawl the Vic Market close to closing time at the weekends, and I make good use of the slightly tired (but perfect for my purposes) half-price produce at places like Wholefoods. In spite of monetary constraints, I manage to eat a fair bit of organic produce. </div>
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I shop seasonally. Boxes of mangos, trays of tomatoes in the summer. Bags of apples, magnificent heads of cabbage in the winter. </div>
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I have a fridge full of pickles from when I got proper gherkins for $2. My mother's larder has the jam I made with the last of the summer apricots. </div>
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Today yielded quinces for $1 a kilo, to be slowly roasted with wattle seed as an accompaniment to homemade bread, coconut yogurt, muesli. </div>
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Best of all, a bag of pine mushrooms for a hysterically trifling $2. To be devoured, by me, in an act of greed justified by the grim weather and my last hurrah before I am off to the back of beyond to finish my rural GP placement (in a town surrounded by farms, but with no greengrocer, and where pickup trucks line up every night outside the fast food outlets - proof this country has a completely warped attitude towards food).</div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-74849354175960428382014-03-15T18:02:00.003+11:002014-03-15T18:02:24.580+11:00Christmas 2013Yes, I know. It’s mid-March. But I have only just got round to transferring pictures from my iPhone, itself a complete novelty for me, and found these.<br /><br />It was a relatively warm Christmas in 2013. My mother avers that Christmas in Melbourne is always 25˚C and overcast, but we’d had a spell of hot weather and it was a bit more summery than that. <br /><br />Neither of us is particularly bothered about Christmas, and we’ve never done it conventionally. Turkey etc has only appeared if we went to relatives’ homes for Christmas, and I’ve not eaten meat since I was about 13 anyway. Moreover, quite a few Christmases have been spent with other vegetarians. <br /><br />My proposal for the 2013 Christmas was plant-based dishes, and some meaty/cheesy accompaniments for my carnivorous mother, in a kind of mezze-ish arrangement.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />As usual, the inner North came up trumps for interesting and reasonably-priced provisions. On the (vegan friendly!) plate are:<br /><br />Organic baby spinach + organic orange salad;<br /><br />Organic heirloom radishes (purple, red, white) with Mount Zero salt;<br /><br />Tomato, red onion, avocado;<br /><br />Roasted Japanese eggplant with pomegranate arils;<br /><br />Roasted asparagus (which was a ludicrous 25c a bunch) and roasted chopped almonds.<br /><br />Plus gigantic Macadamia nuts; Edwards pumpkin seed sourdough; fruit loaf (can’t remember which bakery - either Philippa’s, La Madre or Zeally Bay, courtesy of the Brunswick IGA).<br /><br />For Madam Carnivore, Chianina bresaola and Fromager d’Affinois with truffles (from DOC Delicatessen), plus butter from Isigny Ste-Mère. <br /><br />Dessert for the omnivore was Pavlova. I bought half a kilo of cherries from the Vic Market, paid a (relatively) scary sum for red currants, and got some wildly cheap strawberries (not cheap in taste, fortunately). The pavlova recipe was nothing special - Google will yield many, all basically the same. I might have used ACV instead of white vinegar, but otherwise no fiddling there. The cream was vanilla bean cream, though I had originally planned to use marscapone.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I gorged myself on cherries, nearly (but not quite!) sickening myself of them in the process. </div>
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I think the most significant lesson from this was that the odd luxury item, like a pomegranate, can make an enormous difference to a dish. Realistically, a couple of dollars on the odd special ingredient shouldn't be kept only for Christmas. So I will probably make the eggplant dish more often. </div>
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The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-5419769692262705632014-03-01T18:23:00.000+11:002014-03-01T18:23:04.787+11:00Echt Apple Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This, I apologise, is not remotely vegan, but easily veganised.<br /><br />I spotted Bramley apples at one of the Vic Market’s organic stalls last week, and promised my mother that the next time I visited I would make a proper apple pie. Happily, when I went to get said apples, I saw that new season Cox’s were also available. Hurrah for freedom from the tyranny of Royal Galas (my particular bete noir) and other mainstream apple varieties.<br /><br />According to St Delia, and others, the best apple pies involve two sorts of apples: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramley_apple">Bramleys</a>, which are unpleasant raw but turn into velvety fluff when cooked; and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox%27s_Orange_Pippin">Cox’s</a>. (Incidentally, the Wiki page needs correcting - it’s not the case that Cox’s are unsuitable for cooking.)<br /><br />Pleasingly, Delia’s recipe (in her Winter Collection) uses parsimonious quantities of fat and sugar, and a colossal quantity of apples. Intriguingly, she also uses Cheddar cheese in the crust.<br /><br />I made a number of variations to her recipe.<br /><br />For the pastry, I used all butter, rather than half butter and half lard. I omitted the cheese, because the only cheeses in the house were completely unsuitable. I also substituted about 80g of the plain flour with lupin flour, because it was there and because I could. (This ups the protein content slightly.)<br /><br />For the filling, Delia recommends scattering semolina over the pastry base before alternating layers of sliced apples with sugar and studding with the odd clove.<br /><br />I mixed together apple cake spice (Gewurtzhaus), sugar, vanilla sugar, cardamom pistachio sugar (Gewurtzhaus again!), ground linseed/flaxseed.<br /><br />It was appallingly steamy in Melbourne, so I had to work quickly with the pastry. Fortunately it rolled out beautifully. Just under half was used to line a glass pie dish (though metal would be better), and a scattering of the ground flaxseed mixture went on top, followed by layers of apple and the flax/spice/sugar mix. The remaining pastry was rolled out, draped over the top, sealed and covered with egg wash.<div>
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In view of the weather, the pie was refrigerated while the oven heated up. <br /><br />I had to ignore the cooking time, since my mother’s oven is markedly cooler than it pretends to be, and it was well over an hour before it was ready. <div>
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<br /><br />And obviously vanilla ice-cream was mandatory. <br /><br />What was good about this recipe is that, apart from the tedium of peeling, coring and slicing the apples, the rest was dead easy to assemble. No blind baking. No pre-cooing of the apples. In general, not a lot of faff. <br /><br />I’ve yet to try vegan pastry making, but presumably it would be easy enough to veganise with appropriate non-animal fats. </div>
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The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616474461130065290.post-7480788098085079542014-02-23T18:15:00.000+11:002014-02-24T17:37:52.527+11:00Admirable brunch at Admiral Cheng-Ho, AbbotsfordI’ve longed to go to Monk Bodhi Dharma for ages, but somehow found the thought of getting to Balaclava too exhausting (despite it being my old bagel-sourcing stomping ground). So you can imagine my lazy delight when its North side sister cafe, Admiral Cheng-Ho, opened up. Moreover, it promised a ridiculous array of foods I can, and would want to, eat.<br />
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My dear brunching companion R expressed enthusiasm at going to the Admiral’s on what turned out to be a lovely late summer Sunday. <br />
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Cycling in from Brunswick, I wondered whether I was in the wrong end of Johnson Street, frantically checking the street numbers, since there did not appear to be any likely site for a cafe. Admiral Cheng-Ho is on a quiet intersection, in a part of Abbotsford where it is probably the most interesting thing around. <br />
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The cafe itself was not at all quiet. At 12.30pm, it was packed and though we didn’t have to wait for seats, we did have to perch at the bar. This did allow me to watch the coffee making with interest, and note the intriguing selection of blends on offer.<br />
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I have one (<i>at least</i> one) annoying trait when it comes to eating out. One is a tendency to be indecisive. This is obviated by some cafes where there is only one vegan GF option - usually toast. Yawn. Not so in the inner North, of course. Thankfully, the intarwebs can usually proffer a menu before I go somewhere, so I can suss out a) if it’s worth my while and b) try to narrow down what I might eat. <br />
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At Admiral Cheng-Ho, virtually everything was a possibility. If I could have stomached it, I’d have done as my dining companion did and ordered the quinoa pancakes. These looked amazing - three fat pancakes, a spoon of butterscotch sauce, soil, and some fabulous looking “cream”. R graciously let me have a taste, and the pancakes were superb, though I detected a slight bitterness to the butterscotch. This might have just been me, though, as everyone else (virtually every other customer) was happily hoovering up the lot.<br />
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On a colder day, I’d have gone for the umami mushrooms. Something to look forward to in winter. I also scratched the avocado option off the list, since it’s something doable at home.<br />
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What was not favourable for a DIY approach was the granola - which I can never quite get right when I make it myself. </div>
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This was more impressive when it came out than I imagined, since all the elements were house made. One of my peeves is cafes offering a particular brand of muesli or granola, dolloping on some yogurt and then charging $15 for something I could do myself, thanks, for a lot less money. (The acme of this mind-bending laziness is cafes offering Kellogg’s cereals for more than a whole box of the rotten stuff would cost. Seriously - are people really so chumpy?)<br />
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I don’t typically have granola, as it is too sweet and oily, and I’d prefer not to precipitate GORD and diabetes in the one meal. The Cheng’s granola was buckwheat based, with a subtle banana flavour. There was no tooth-gritting sweetness, nor greasy coating on my mouth, and it kept a pleasing crunch even as I took a terrifically long time to make my way through the bowl. On top was grey goo, that was also apparently banana based and completely delicious, irrespective of the appearance. Plus banana, strawberry, flowers (!) and a jug of hazelnut milk which was so clean and pure in its taste it was obviously house-made. <br />
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In hindsight, hilariously unphotogenic (brown rubble and grey goo!) but utterly delicious. And just as well I overcame my antipathy towards bananas a couple of years ago. <br />
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What I really liked was having a delicious meal that didn’t leave me feeling like I was going to die from excess, but which could keep me cycling round town for the rest of the day.<br />
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My long black was also excellent, but I’d have been surprised if it wasn’t.<br />
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Anyway - I really enjoyed it and there is more than enough to tempt me back again. The lunch offerings (soups, amazing looking sandwiches) and enormous (apparently vegan) muffins etc also looked impressive. <br />
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Given all the excitement on the internet and in other media, Admiral Cheng-Ho doesn’t really need my thumbs up, but it gets it anyway. </div>
The New Epicureanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073602750714497845noreply@blogger.com0