Taking Stock Feb 2023

Where did that come from?

January seemed to rush by in a haze of books, beach visits, hot nights and walks with friends. Here we are in February already and if we are ready of not, time has moved on.

I am back at work and as you may have noticed, I am writing again. My supervisor has wisely instructed me that in order to deal with the stress of full time work I require something else in my life that energeizes me and so here I am. Back writing and eating, doing things that I love and that bring joy.

Yes, psychologists have their own therapy in some ways. Regular supervision is legislated and what a privilege it is to be forced to do something so wonderful, esoteric and ultimately helpful. I recommend it highly.

So this year I will be writing again. What joy!

And yes, I know that blogging is dead. Facebook put paid to that back in the day. But who cares? Not me. I will potter along writing and I will miss those who used to do it with me and maybe one day peace will be restored to the creative blogging community.

Some of you are still out there.
Pounding the keyboard and for that I am grateful. You kept me entertained during Covid’s long Winter and you add joy and colour to many corners.

So what else am I doing? I am cooking fun new recipes from TikTok as much as possible. So many experiments and quite a lot of success. I still love finding new cafes to visit and I still love the communal experience of a coffee or meal in a cafe. What’s new friends? Send me your tips and ideas of places to visit and dishes to try.

I am also wading through weeknight dinners. Sometimes with weariness. Those dinner time meals occur far too reliably don’t they?

Here are a few other updates.

  • I recently visited Port Fairy again and we camped on the river this time and it was paradise.
  • I’m loving making my waffle recipe although these days I use gluten free flour. It works out just swell every time and oh, what a special treat homemade waffles are.
  • I also read a lot in my free time. A book on tears, a book on murder, a book on potions. What is on your must read list this month?

I hope this finds you well.

Dani xx

Best of 2022

2022 was the year we finally ventured back out. It was tentative and most of us got sick at some point in the year, but wasn’t it intoxicating to experience all those simple activities with renewed gratitude?

I had some fabulous meals, some of them straightforward, some of them sophisticated. Here is a list of a few of the memorable ones.

Warning: this is a very basic list. I no longer dine with a camera and 2020-2021 has taught me all about embracing the moment so I try not to snap my dinner (except with my teeth), so there are no fancy images. Although to be honest, sometimes I cannot resist…. You can take a food blogger out of the Melbourne dining scene etc…

Best meal in a restaurant

This is a hard one. I tried quite a few lovely new places in 2022 and I frequented quite a few long time favourites. Tesoro Gastronomia in Balwyn North comes to mind as being particularly enjoyable, partly for its Italian sincerity but also for the excellent service and atmosphere.

Tesoro Gastronomia risotto
Tesoro Gastronomia

https://www.tesorogastronomia.com

My absolute favourite though remains Ember in Warrandyte.

Enjoy their burnt honey drizzled ricotta bread and you will immediately know why I love them.

https://www.emberdining.com.au

Doot Doot Doot and Rare Hare at Jackalope Hotel were both out of this world memorable too.

Doot Doot Doot

Best brunch

Please keep in mind that I do not like a fancy, nasturtium decorated brunch item and so in this way I am definitely going against the trends here in Melbourne. This is a tough decision and I have three winners because honestly, who is forcing me to pick one?

McKinly Eatery brunch
  • McKinly Eatery https://www.mckinlyeatery.com.au
  • The Stonehouse Cafe, Warrandyte.
  • Anything from the Kitchen Container, beachside in Carrum.

Best New Restaurant

Doot Doot.

This was a spectacular meal. I have so many photos and a glowy kind of happy memory about the whole dinner. The ambiance was very good, the food was fun but intense and it was the kind of dinner that engaged the brain and the taste buds. Location is a large part of this experience.

Doot Doot Doot dinner
Doot Doot Doot

Best new cafe

Harrow and Harvest. This recommendation was courtesy of my good friend Claire who declared it the best cafe she had been too. It is housed in a beautiful old church. They serve an interesting array of drinks and cakes and I will be back to try their meals.

Or, the Kitchen, Tootgarook. More beach and excellent curry. Very happy memories for me.

https://thekitchens.au

The Kitchen Rosebud

Best donut

Bella and I visited the Melbourne Market at the insistence of Isaac and we really, really loved the fresh donuts from the food truck there. Honestly, why would you try anything else?

Best coffee

These are long term favourites although I am very partial to the coffee I make at home these days.

  • Riddik, Templestowe.
  • Snow Pony, Deepene.

Best tea

I am thinking Shlilinglaw Cafe, Eltham. It’s in a charming cottage in Eltham. It’s near the library (my favourite place). What else it there to say?

Home

But the homemade chai from a huge rolling pot at St Andrews Market was also oh so memorable (and spicy).

St Andrews Market Left Bank

Best sandwich

The Vietnamese roll at District Pho although the sandwiches at McKinly Eatery are all on my wish list.

Best Cafe

This is easy for me. Matilda, Mont Albert. It is lovely, it is fine, the food is my favourite.

Don’t go there though, I don’t want it to get any busier!

https://www.matildamontalbert.com.au

Best chocolate

Chocolate almond cake at Pellegrinis Espresso Bar, but probably any and every cake there really. Try Pellegirinis if you haven’t. It is a Melbourne institution. It was also the first place we visited after lockdowns and it holds a very special place in my heart. There are always a few cakes propped up behind the counter and if you just chose one, you will be happy. Coffee and a walk along Burke Street on the side of course.

Best drink

The Aviator at Naught Gin.

Best sweet treat

Everything at any Brunettis.

Cakes for miles, pastries to follow, gelato if it’s hot.

Best pizza

Republika, St Kilda. It is beachside, it is fun and the mushroom pizza was oh so delicious.

Drinks Republika St Kilda

Gradi at Crown. My long term favourite. We always enjoy our meal there. No fuss, excellent ingredients, even better pizza.

Best Take-Away

Stalactites, City. Gluten-free lovers this place is for you! We huddled around in the rain eating souva on the footpath one weekend with what seemed like the rest of Melbourne, not long before Melbourne’s final lockdown in 2021. It is a long way to drive but it is kind of worth it to me as the food is consistently the best.

Favourite recipe, special

This is always the same thing. Year after year. Nothing can beat it. Vintage version apricot chicken with wild rice, made by my husband.

Best homecook recipe, basic

Slow cooked roast beef, taught to me in 20 seconds during lunch at the office.

Best tick-tok recipe

I have made a lot of TikTok recipes to be honest. A lot. Some of them were successful and a lot of them were just not that great. Most of them were easy though so that is pretty impressive to me. The green goddess cabbagey salad was a bit nice but a lot of everything else, including dollars and bloating. Babs Christmas breakfast bake was quite successful with all my nephews and neices. Strangely I cooked a lot of cabbage in the first half of the year and I am not sure if my life is better for it.

A few favourites.

  • Pan fried rice paper rolls with cinnamon sugar
  • Steamed sesame cabbage with spicy Korean bbq chicken
  • Broccoli soup with feta and orzo

So what were your favourite meals or tastes of 2022?

Have you any great TikTok recipes that I could try? I have neglected the dessert category as it is not really something I give my time to but what you would include?

Happy Eating & continue to enjoy those simple moments.

Dani

Will Kanye Grab a Burger in Ivanhoe

Double beef burger food photography

So, Kanye has been spotted out and about in Melbourne? At Fountain Gate to be precise. I can’t say that Fountain Gate would be my number one location recommendation for overseas visitors but who am I to judge? They do have a great Rebel sport and Delta Goodrum once sang there so….

I have been spotted out and about in Melbourne too. This time in Ivanhoe. No one cared and no one really spotted me but I do have to mention that they have a great burger place in Ivanhoe and that said burger place has beef, with Kanye.

See what I did there?

And seeing as all the most reliable reporters are saying that Kanye’s new wife hails from Ivanhoe I can’t help but wonder if maybe next time I am at the Ivanhoe library, he will be there too. Sipping a quick coffee with the older blokes who read the free papers maybe or loitering under the beautiful rescued tree? The gluten free options at Cafe Strada are really out of this world but I don’t believe he is on a gluten free diet so maybe he will stop at The Foreigner instead? Highly recommend the coffee here as a great gateway coffee to Melbourne’s more pretentious inland institutions.

Back to the beef though.

College Dropout Burgers had a teeny tiny copyright issue of some sort with the great Ye himself but instead of going silent and rebranding everything millennial pink, they instead begged his royal Ye-ness to show them love. Apparently they adore the tracksuited one you see, although it seems he does not return this favour. And although their smash burgers are divine, they are not associated in anyway with the Ye. You following?

But now I can’t help but wonder. Your lawyer knows my lawyer and we both going to be in town so maybe, just maybe, Kanye will visit these loving burger mad men and DESTINY. Or maybe not.

I’l be watching though and wondering and maybe even walking by, peering in, with high hopes.

As to the supposed Fountain Gate visit today. Well, it’s not all bad. If Kanye and crew take a left from Kath and Kim City and head a little further out of town they could grab a table at O.My-one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. Then after a night at the Beaconsfield Lodge Motel (that’s a 2.5 star venue, which must be a rare thing) head over to Cockatoo for a bush walk, before enjoying dinner at the teeny tiny stuff-of-legends Korean restaurant, Chae.

I have more ideas for the intinary but I will leave it there as Ivanhoe needs you Kanye. Those Carey students can’t live off their own reputations.

Dani xx

Delightful Dahlias

Dahlias are really having their moment. They seem to have quickly moved from drab to fab and I am very much here for this moment. They are colurful and gorgeous and they produce more flowers the more you cut them- this is just the lashing of generous love that we all deserve in 2022 when budgets are tight and strawberries are expensive. They look most fabulous sitting forlornly in a tiny vase on their own or swaying ravishingly in a field. They are the flower we wanted and the flower we need and they are even on sale at Aldi next Saturday. $7.99 for a small pack of tubers from memory. Get onto it, but please not before I get there.

I have planted tubers in my Melbourne garden already this year. Bulleen Art and Garden (the Holy temple for Melbourne gardeners who do it themselves) tells me that you can plant anytime from September onward. They also have a lovely range of Dahila tubers in stock at the moment and they were the first place that I ever purchased Dahlias’s from. At the time I was simply looking to plant something pretty near my veggie patch that would attract the bees and make me smile but from the first hot, dry Summer moment that they blossomed, I was hooked. Now I am rather serious about them and Summer would not really seem like Summer without their willowy embellishment.

I am not the only person to take them seriously. The Dahlia Society of Victoria was “formed to promote Dahlia culture”. Now I might be wrong but I am pretty sure that Melbourne is known as the culture capital of Australia and Dahlia’s really should receive more credit for the part they play in this . Amsterdam has their tulips, Tokyo has its cherry blossoms, Tuscany has it’s sunflowers and Melbourne has its wattle but if the Dahlia society has its way, also its dahlias. Get thee to Aldi and make it happen my friends.

Plant now and reap the benefits in Summer. Cut the flowers as they bloom and enjoy them in your home.

Here’s hoping mine survive the rabbits and my golden retriever who very naughtily seems to enjoy eating the tubers when he manages to dig them up.

Happy planting.

Dani xx

Ryne Restaurant Fitzroy North

The cute little strip of shops in Fitzroy North is one of my favourite places to spend a Saturday night. Late last year after Covid was over I had the excellent idea to work my way through every single restaurant there and I have to say, it was a stellar idea but I have not succeeded.

I have however now made it back to dine at Ryne Restaurant Fitzroy North.

We started with the lamb croquettes and the mushroom Autumn risoni with 60 degree egg. Both were delicious and different seasonal variations of these dishes seem to frequently occur on the Ryne menu. The croquettes tasted like little crunchy morsels of a Sunday lamb roast and they were ever so moorish and comforting on a cold winter’s evening. The risoni was a masterclass in what you can achieve when you mix different food textures well and the resulting dish when the wobbling egg was stirred through was a highlight of the dinner.

Unfortunately the steak was less successful and it had difficulty with both temperature (too cool by the time it reached our table) and texture (somehow the quality of the meat was lacking despite the price). I think you can see by the photo that there is something not quite wonderful going on here.

I am happy to forgive one mistake although I am less enthused about it at this price point.

The accompanying potato rosti was straight from the school of Tiktok perfection. I could hear the knife scrape crackle that ASMR lovers are devoted to and the texture and taste was divine.

My roast cauliflower steak main was again from the school of textural criss-cross masterpieces. A little salty, a little crunchy, a little creamy and it was a very pleasing dish overall.


There is an impressive chef in the kitchen at Ryne cooking modern French cuisine in a rather moody Melbourne dining room. Our service on the night was, how to put it nicely, a bit weird. This is the Covid normal-not normal era and everyone is forgiving of less then perfect service so I will say no more on that.

Their mid week steak nights sound like great value and I wish I had attended for one of them.

As it was, there were some highs, some lows and a great sense that ain’t it great fun to be out of the house again and dining in wonderful Melbourne.

Happy Eating.

Dani

Where

Ryne

203 St Georges Rd

Fitzroy North.

3065.

https://www.ryne.com.au


Naught Distillery and Gin Bar Eltham

Naught Distillery and Gin Bar opened mid 2021.

Official word is that the idea for the distillery and cocktail bar was first conceived in 2016. By 2021 it was already winning awards for the Naught Australian Dry Gin, with many accolades to follow.

Rumour has it that the brain behind the whole operation is a former teacher and I think that this Cinderella angle is what we all need right now.

You will be pleasantly surprised when you open this rather simple front door in a back street in Eltham.

Inside is a gorgeous bar with booths, bar seats and a mezzanine.

The cocktail list is a little bit special and service was knowledgeable and on point.

——————————————————————

Naught Distillery

2/ 32 Peel St.

Eltham, VIC 3095.

The drink list was fantastic but we were also very easily tempted into ordering from the food list and thoroughly enjoyed the cheese board, $35. Other options include the chacuterie board, marinated olives $12 and Buffalo mozzarella with fresh basil, Pedro Ximenez balsamic & smoked sea salt $14.

This rather dramatic tired flow arrangement framed the room beautifully.

https://naughtgin.com.au

Opening Hours

Monday Closed

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 5pm – 10pm

Friday 5pm – Midnight

Saturday 2pm- Midnight

Sunday 2pm-10pm

—————————

Happy Eating.

Dani xx


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Raisin Bread

Opa Boers Raisin Bread Recipe.

I publish this here for the sake of posterity.

This is my Opa’s traditional recipe.

He was a bakker back in Holland. He came from a long line of bakers. They made knapperjes and baked bread for the local community before sailing across to the other side of the world for a new beginning.

I remember my Opa, Fred to his friends, Fokko to his family, well. Not the details of how he looked or what he smelt like, but the feeling of who he was and what he did.

His love of animals, his quiet determination, his kindness.  He always had time for his Grandkids, even famously building his own pool for them all to enjoy.

This recipe makes three, yes three, full loaves because I assume if you were a baker for your local community there was very little point in making one solitary loaf of bread.

Raisin Bread
 
Author:
Serves: 3 loaves
Ingredients
  • 1 kilogram of white bread flour
  • 1 kilogram of white bread flour
  • 2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3 teaspoons of sugar
  • 3 teaspoons of sugar
  • 18-20 grams of yeast
  • 18-20 grams of yeast
  • 100 grams of gluten
  • 100 grams of gluten
  • 400 grams of currants
  • 400 grams of currants
  • 400 grams of sultanas
  • 400 grams of sultanas
  • 50 grams of oil
  • 50 grams of oil
  • 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 eggs
  • 700 mls of warm water
Instructions
  1. Grease 3 bread tins
  2. Soak dried fruit in hot water
  3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix
  4. Add butter and eggs to warm water. Add oil Mix.
  5. Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix with dough hook until the bowl is clean.
  6. Drain fruit well and add it to the bread mix by hand and work in thoroughly.
  7. Cover bowl with greased glad wrap and wrap in a towel. Leave in a warm place to double in size.
  8. Tip onto a floured surface and knead.
  9. Shape into 3 loaves and place in tin.
  10. Brush with water and leave to rise in a warm place until the tins are all full.
  11. Cook in a 170 degree oven for 50 minutes but check the bread after 40 minutes and if it is getting too brown turn the oven down.
  12. Cool on rack.
  13. Brush with glaze of sugar and water combines and heated.
Notes
Makes 3 large 960 gram loaves or 5 small 585 gram loaves.

Father Boer

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1.25kg of sweet potato
  • 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil plus 2 tablespoons extra
  • ½ teaspoon of red curry paste
  • 90ml of coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons of lime juice
  • 11/2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed.
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated.
  • 200 g of roasted cashews
  • 1 cup of fresh coriander, shredded.
  • 100g of fried Changs noodles
Instructions
  1. Peel and chop your sweet potato into 2cm cubes, coat in oil and roast in a moderate oven until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. While this is cooking make a dressing.
  3. Combine red curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice and brown sugar in a food processor and blitz until a smooth paste is formed.
  4. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to a pan and gently cook the garlic cloves and ginger for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Add to the dressing.
  5. Combine the cooked sweet potato, roasted cashews and fresh coriander in a salad bowl. Add the salad dressing and toss gently. Add the fried noodles and serve immediately.

This recipe was given to me by my lovely little sister, Jo. She made this salad for me once, and then I returned the favour many times over because I love it so  much. It has a great combination of crunchy, sweet, salty, spicy and it is a pleasure to serve it on a hot Summer’s day.

Be sure to leave enough time to roast the sweet potato pieces to perfection and from then, this recipe is very simple.

Happy Eating.

Dani

Spring is in.

I have just returned from a very gorgeous adventure to Oahu, Hawaii. We enjoyed eating pineapple, fresh shrimp and sipping cool water from a coconut. I even tried fresh fish tacos from a shrimp truck on the beach one evening while the sun set slowly in the background.

I did get to wondering why coconut is so absent from my life here in Melbourne, apart from the dried, packet variety that I use for baking. I think it probably comes down to the weather, just like most of my complaints about Melbourne.

The weather in Hawaii was sweet perfection, 31 degrees celsius every day. It was pleasant to return to the fresh cool breeze in Melbourne, but only for a little moment.

In Hawaii there was a lot of talk about the arrival of “Fall” or as we call it, Autumn. All the “Fall” excitement gave me reason to consider what I might enjoy about the change of season back home and so I am compiling a list.

Fifteen things to love to do in Spring.

  • Bake a cake and enjoy it in the sun.
  • Have a tea party under a tree.
  • Venture out for a picnic.
  • Buy a “Spring” based bath bomb from lush and give it a drive.
  • Photograph the beautiful new growth in my garden and enjoy the fact that I finally planted bulbs in Winter so I can enjoy them in Spring.
  • Pick fresh flowers to display indoors every day.
  • Go for a nature walk with a sketch pad in hand.
  • Visit a new nursery garden- maybe Cloudehill Garden or Heronswood.
  • Walk along the Yarra River every week.
  • Visit a new cafe or restaurant somewhere beautiful.
  • Find a new chocolate shop and sample those sweets.
  • Paint my nails yellow for a little seasonal sunshine.
  • Get back into the market-game by visiting some of the great markets that will be starting up again now that the weather is mild.
  • Walk through a cherry blossom orchard.
  • Be dazzled by daffodils.

So how about you, fellow Melbourne dwellers?

What do you look forward to in Spring and what is on your Spring wish list?

Family, Food & Feelings. A new Cook Book.

Family, Food & Feelings is the latest book to be released by the very talented Kate Berry (of Lunch Lady fame).  It is a cook book full of family friendly recipes that you will still enjoy cooking (and eating) as an adult. It is also a book about family life, which kind of makes a lot of sense because food and family are so intertwined and Kate charts the connection beautifully.

It is set across the four school terms, making it instantly relatable and useful to a fellow Melbourne Mum. Favourite recipes so far include the Salted Tahini Choc-Chip Cookies, the Banana and Walnut Bread (on frequent rotation already) and the sweet, salty butteryness of the Sweet Jammy Drops.

I love this book.

It is warm, it is delicious and it is comforting.

It is also very pretty and I wouldn’t mind decorating my house with it.

Full of colors, art and beautiful photos. Not the kind of beautiful photos that leave you feeling impressed, but photos that help you remember that life is beautiful.

So much better.

Family, Food and Feelings is published by Pan MacMillan and is available now in all good book stores.

Rockstar Singapore Noodles Recipe

A much loved, simple recipe that I’m finally publishing because I’ve lost my paper version, so I need it to cook dinner tonight!

I have called it ‘Rockstar Singapore Noodles’ because it just isn’t very traditional and has been adapted to suit my life and my veggie patch. So very rock star.

I hope your Winter has been as good as mine.

I have been enjoyed two, wonderful, sun-drenched weeks in Europe and it was everything.

It is back to cold Melbourne now of course, but I was happy to be home because I really missed my family.

Happy Eating.

Dani

Recipe

1/4 cup of chicken stock

3 tablespoons of kecap manis

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

250 grams of rice noodles

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

3 eggs lightly beaten

400 grams of chicken mince

2 heaped teaspoons of curry powder

1 red onion finely chopped

5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 red capsicum cut into fine pieces

1/4 cabbage chopped finely

To serve

Handful of coriander leaves

wedges of lime to serve

1 spring onion cut

Method

First make the sauce by mixing together the stock, soy sauce and brown sugar.

Soak the noodles in hot water until soft and then drain.

Heat a heavy based frypan over high heat and add one tablespoon of the oil, when hot add the eggs and stir until cooked through.

Remove from the heat and add the onion and cook gently until softened. Then add garlic, ginger and cook through before adding the curry powder and cooking through. Add more oil and then  the chicken mince and fry until cooked.

Add the capsicum and chopped cabbage.

Add the sauce and noodles and stir until heated through.

Add the egg and remove from heat.

Add in the coriander and stir though before serving with fresh spring onion and a lime wedge.