I don’t mean to be rude America, but you know us Aussies invented the BBQ right? Well, Okay, maybe we didn’t exactly invent it but we have perfected it. Right?
Well, after my Grill Mates American BBQ School class on Monday night, I am not so sure.
I attended the American barbecue Grill Mates class at Beer Deluxe in Hawthorn. It was hosted by McCormicks GrillMates and taught by the ever enthusiastic Pit master, Eric from the Melbourne BBQ School.
I was invited along with a number of other Melbourne food bloggers, to attend the Grill Mates American BBQ class and to enjoy a delicious three course meal. All of it cooked on the BBQ.
Some of the meat had been slowly cooking over hot coals since 8am that morning which really gives you a great indication of how amazing this food was.
Eric took us through a few different recipes using the new Grill Mates Amercian BBQ range.
Jalapeno and Cheddar BBQ Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
Classic All Star BBQ Beef Sliders
These were both delicious and the addition of the caramelised onion to the Spinach Quesadillas, was genius.
Smokin Texas Beef Brisket
Tennessee Smokehouse Baby Back Ribs
Chipotle & Roasted Garlic Pulled Pork
I have not cooked with Brisket before but it was a lovely succulent cut of meat after being slow cooked over hot coals. The pulled pork was juicy and full of flavour and the Tennessee Baby Back Ribs were out. of. this. world.
Hands down the best ribs I have ever eaten.
Spicy Cinnamon & Chilli Chocolate Brownies. Yes, this was cooked on the BBQ too!
We were also given tips on how to best cook and prepare an American Barbecue. Here is my brief summary for your reading pleasure.
Fat equals flavour
When buying ribs, baby back ribs are the prime cut.
Fat equals flavour.
Treat your meat sweet with by dressing it with McCormicks spice rub prior to cooking (don’t forget to massage it) then cook it long and slow.
If you are cooking chicken or mince, you must take a solemn oath to never overcook it!
Take time to marinate your meat.
Fat equals flavour.
Get the temperature of your BBQ right. This is harder than you might think.
Try the Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon sauce, it tastes good with everything. I kindly tested it for you.
The American BBQ class was fun and informative.. Showing your meat some love is more complicated than you might think, but well worth the effort.
Back to the question of who does the best BBQ. Heres a quick quiz to help you decide.
Ill drop a few key phrases to get you thinking and you have to match it to its BBQ country of origin; Australian or American.
Sausages
Smokin Texas Beef Ribs
Steak
12 hour cooked Beef Brisket
Chicken on a stick
Chipotle and roasted garlic chicken skewers.
Rissoles
Jalapeno and Cheddar BBQ chiken and spinach Quesadillas.
How did you go?
Ill leave it for you to decide. American BBQ or Aussie?
Whichever way you go, just remember this. Melbourne is known for its fantastic ability to take traditional foods from other counties, and make them our own. So even if the American barbecue might have a slight edge over the Aussie one, it won’t stay that way for long.
Looking for a delicious cream cheese frosting recipe to take your lovely little cakes to the next level? Well look no further.
I tend to keep the little Philadelphia Cream Cheese Individual packs in my fridge. They are great to use in lunch boxes and also are very handy for whipping up a last minute frosting.
Ingredients
80g cream cheese, softened (2 x little Philadelphia tubs)
20g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup icing sugar mixture
Method
Place cheese, butter and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat until creamy and pale.
Gradually add icing sugar mixture, beating until mixed through and smooth.
Moist and easy banana cake recipe with three bananas.
Course
cake
Keyword
Banana Cake
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time45minutes
Total Time55minutes
Ingredients
ngredients
125gbutter
3/4cupcaster sugar
1tspvanilla extract
1egg
3small very ripemashed bananas
1 1/2cupself-raising flour
1/4cupmilk
Instructions
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C.
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan.
Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until all melted through and then remove from the heat.
Mash your bananas.
Add mashed bananas to the butter mixture and lightly stir through.
Add egg and milk and mix in well. Add the flour and lightly stir through.
Pour into a lined tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
Voila! Banana Cake.
I topped mine with a delicious Cream Cheese Frosting because it is my favourite. I also added a lovely summer fruit salad to the top, because I knew we were going to eat the cake immediately.
I have been making this simple recipe for many moons and I really hope you like it.
This is really the worlds easiest, tasty stir-fry.
Full of great, healthy ingredients. Tofu for protein, amino acids, iron, calcium, manganese, selenium and phosphorous, zinc, and vitamin B1. Chia seeds for fibre, antioxidants and omega- 3’s. Plus much more!
It is super quick to make.
Importantly, I think it is delicious. And if you don’t really like tofu, then I really think you should try this tofu and maybe you will change your mind.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of Black Chia seeds
2-3 tablespoons of Pumpkin Kernels
100g of rice Vermicelli or other rice based noodles
1/4 cup of frozen corn kernels
250g of Bean Supreme Ginger & Honey Marinated Tofu with extra stir fry sauce (this ingredient is key to the recipes success.)
2 handfuls of Australian Grown Baby Salad leaves with beetroot (you can substitute your favourite salad leaves here.)
Method
Head a little olive oil in a pan.
Slice the tofu into pieces and cook them in your pan until heated through and toasted on both sides.
While this cooks, heat up your vermicelli noodles according to packet instructions.
Add the stir fry sauce from the tofu pack, to the fry-pan (as much or as little as you like, I added half).
Add the frozen corn and heat the whole lot through.
Turn off the heat and add your drained noodles and salad leaves and sir through.
Sprinkle with the pumpkin kernels and Chia seeds and enjoy.
Serves 2
Healthy, tasty, easy. Quite loveable yes?
As long as you don’t hate tofu, then I can’t help you. “Haters gonna hate” right Tay Tay?
My tip is this. If you are cooking for little people too, cook up an extra lot of rice noodles then add a small serving of this stir-fry with the un-dressed noodles to the children’s bowl. My kids will all eat this meal as long as it is kept fairly plain and not too spicy.
I love making home-made treats for my kids for afternoon tea. I hope that is shows them that I love them and care about them and that I am thinking about them. I also think it is so much better to make a cookie with simple ingredients, than to buy cookies from the supermarket with their long list of unidentifiable ingredients and additives.
These peanut butter cookies, warm and fresh from the oven, make an excellent occasional treat.
Fresh butter, free range eggs, flour, additive free peanut butter, love. All good, wholesome ingredients that come together with great effect, in this little cookie.
:: this cookie dough likes to be rested in the fridge before it gets rolled into cookies and baked. I thought you’d like to be pre-warned.
Ingredients
100g softened butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter
230g brown sugar
1 egg
185g plain flour
Method
Preheat oven to 160 c
Place butter, vanilla, peanut butter and brown sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
Add the egg and beat until well combined.
Add the self-raising flour. Mix until well combined and a dough forms. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
Scoop out teaspoons full of dough. Roll it into balls. Place it on a baking tray and press lightly with a fork.
Cook for 15- 20 minutes then allow them to cool before eating.
Party season is here at my house and it happily coincides with sunny weather. What a great time for bowl full of crispy, fresh, tangy salad to share with friends.
This apple coleslaw is one of my current favourites. Serve it in wraps, on hot dogs, or to accompany BBQ lamb. It will take you though Spring and into Summer.
Add a little shredded mint or parsley or whatever you have growing in your garden, for extra colour. Not that my apple coleslaw need extra colour. This is one stylish salad.
Ingredients
1/8 cup of rice vinegar
1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
2 tbsp of poppy seeds
5 tbsp of honey
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 medium cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small batons
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into small batons
Directions
Prepare the salad dressing by mixing together the vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, salt and poppy seeds. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl combined the cabbage, carrots, onions and apple.
Toss gently until well combined.
Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix until well coated.
I have had a lot of local people tell me that they love Evolve Fair Food Store in Belgrave. The cafe sits just outside of the main township of Belgrave in what was once a Blacksmith’s studio.
It has now truly transformed into an inviting, modern and slightly bohemian cafe, in all the right ways. Local art work adorns the walls and artisanal produce is available for purchase in one of the rooms. The food is organic, locally sourced, eco-friendly and health conscious. To just focus on these traits though would be to miss the whole experience. Evolve Fair Food store is “fair” in a unique and wonderful way, but it is also delicious, beautiful, thoughtful and warm.
Visit for brunch or lunch and try a burger, baguette or omelette. Morning and afternoon tea options are include organic scones ($10) and wheat free banana bread ($12). There are also a gluten-free, vegan and raw food options available. You can take a look at the menu by clicking here.
Two free range eggs on sourdough toast. $10
Importantly for some of us, there is also a lovely child friendly room at the back of the cafe filled with toys, books and plenty of space for children. There is also a Kids Menu featuring the sort of health conscious and tasty food that every Mum dreams about.
Tea is Organic Yarra Valley Leaf tea ($4 a pot) and coffee is from Proud Mary ($4- $6).
Service is friendly and helpful and the staff here seem to give off the vibe that they are enjoying their day. The location at the base of Sherbrooke Forest is gorgeous.
It is hard to sum up Evolve Fair Food store because it is a cafe that does so much. I think it is in a very unique position of offering health conscious, fair trade, ethically sourced and delicious food. Maybe this level of thoughtfulness and committment explains why it holds such a special place in the hearts of locals.
Details:
64-68 Monbulk Road
Belgrave
(03) 9754 1437
Opening Hours
Tue to Sun 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tonight we took a beautiful drive through the Yarra Ranges to the visit The Independent restaurant in Gembrook. You can read about my previous visit here, but I thought a little update was in order.
Set in a former hardware store in the main street of Gembrook, The Independent is co-owned by Chef Mauro Callegari and the family behind Robert Gordon pottery. They serve Argentinian food in a large, open dining hall with exposed timber beams and a sweet little view out onto the street.
To find it you have to take a sweeping drive through the surrounding hills, to end up in the tiny little town of Gembrook, home to the iconic Puffing Billy railway. Consider the drive through rolling green pastures a part of the overall experience and you might just have yourself a refreshing mini- break in the country. There are a lot of good things to do out this way, most of which will leave you feeling recharged and reconnected.
The menu is based around shared plates and tapas style food. The wine list has a few local offerings as well as their Argentinian counterparts. Service was prompt, enthusiastic and solicitous this time around. We ordered the shoulder of lamb to share ($59) which was served with a Beetroot dish with smoked yoghurt & pine nuts. We had to allow half an hour for he lamb to be cooked, but when it arrived it was smoky, sweet and falling off the bone. Well worth the wait.
The half hour wait was also a great excuse to order some of the smaller dishes to share.
Twice smoked crumbed pork belly log, $18
Grilled chorizo with capsicum, prunes & chimmichurri $12
Roasted potatoes with onion, garlic & thyme $11
Baked mozzarella with Chilli.
Overall the food was interesting and full of salty, spicy flavours. The restaurant was busy and was run by a team who seemed to know how to manage the bustling space without trouble. Casual yet stylish Argentinian-Australian dining at its best.
Last weekend I was lucky enough to be taken on a very special tour through the Yarra Valley, as the guest of the Yarra Valley Regional Food Group. We were in search of good food and wine, and we found it in abundance.
Orson Koch from Yarra Valley Transfers was our chauffeur for the day. Charming and knowledgeable, he was able to fill in the landscape with tall tales, local gossip and foodie tips. He could also drive, which was very handy because we had a lot to cover.
The Yarra Valley sits in the undulating, vineyard-laced hills outside of the World’s Most liveable city, Melbourne. An easy 45 minute drive to the North East from the City, and one definitely worth taking.
Where the roads widen out and the horizon stands tall and green and proud, nestled there amongst the hills, you will find the Yarra Valley.
I visit the Yarra Vally regularly for;
Wine, wineries, wandering.
U-pick cherries. Every November and December, without fail. Unique varietals, local, family-run farms. Amazing, intricate flavours.
Plump, juicy strawberries and blueberries that taste just like the ones that Grandma used to serve.
Well now I have a few more reasons to visit this beautiful part of Victoria.
First stop of the day was Gateway Estate.
Run by Brett and his lovely wife Karen, Gateway Estate is a farm, cafe and local produce shop. This is a local business which Brett runs in conjunction with his brother. His Father also lives on the 110 acre property.
I have driven past this roadside stall many times without stopping. I won’t be making that mistake again. This is a great place to pick up local produce and supplies including beef, pasta, tea, jams, pickles, spices, fruit and veg.
You can visit their on site greenhouse for a small amount of u-pick strawberries all year around. You can also purchase frozen, local berries which are often hard to come by at this time of year.
Gateway Estate started out as a wholesale market with a thriving business growing and selling Capsicum. A roadside stall was eventually added to sell their tomato crop and the business has evolved naturally from there. A lot of other local producers also now sell through the shop.
It now exists as one of the best displays of Yarra Valley produce in the one spot.
and more. Visit their website for more information.
On the day I visited these gorgeous Cara Cara oranges were on display. With a very brief growing season they are only available for a short time. They were rich orangey red in colour and sweetly piquant in taste.
Brett was kind enough to take us for a tour of his growing sheds, the true heart of his business. We saw rows upon rows of strawberry plants in the u-pick strawberry growing room.
From there our tour we moved to the herb room. These basil plants look like little obedient herby soldiers, yes? Ready to obey your every cooking request.
Gateway Estate also produce a massive capsicum crop.
Yarra Valley Gateway Estate also has a cafe onsite and we were treated to a delicious egg and bacon roll and a cup of Yarra Valley Tea Co tea.
Visit for a toasted egg, cheese and bacon roll using local ingredients. $9.50
Chunky Beef pie $5.95 , a sausage roll, or a lovely selection of filled donuts $3-$3.50. Visit the Yarra Valley Gateway Estate Facebook page for more information.
All up we had a wonderful morning in a lovely venue. This really is great, local, lovingly produced Australian produce at its best. How could you possibly say no to that?
Today was a perfect day for coffee at one of my favourite cafes, The General Food Store Emerald.
The sun was shining, the breeze was fresh, the scent of Spring was in the air. I knew that a drive through those hills would inspire me.
The General Food Store has had a make over of sorts.
A few things that I love.
Their monthly newsletter on the wall with announcement of local events, seasonal produce etc.
Regularly changing art work in the cafe, featuring local artists. Today I was struck by the beauty of a photo of Emerald Lake Park at night. So stunning.
A reliably great cup of coffee.
Small but excellent menu.
Engaging staff.
Cafes are our modern-day watering holes. Slurp, slurp, tsk, tsk.
The General Food Store seems to be the go-to place for a lot of Emerald locals and it is always busy.
I ordered eggs on toast $10. The lovely, chewy, crunchy sourdough made me very happy.
There was also a cabinet full of delicious looking cakes and slices. Some were gluten-free, some were low sugar, some were just the way Grandma made them.
The General Food Store menu still offers two different styles of baguette $11.50, French lentil soup $10, house-made granola $11.50 and more. Check out the full menu, which changes with the Seasons, here.
I think that the General Food Store could be one of your favourite cafes too, even if you are not local.
Take a drive through the sweeping Dandenong Ranges, feel your cares slip away as the road climbs higher, let the gorgeous green spaces sing you a lullaby and the majestic trees, whisper their secret.
Keep an eye on the General Food Store Facebook page if you would like to be notified of special events or night time dining options. While you are there, please visit the Eat My Street Facebook page too, and say hello. I’d love to see you stop by and I appreciate your support.
O.MY is a gorgeous, produce driven restaurant in Beaconsfield, Victoria. It is run by three brothers, Chayse, 22 Blayne, 24 and Tyson, 28. Chayse is Sommelier & runs the floor, Blayne is Head Chef in the kitchen and oldest brother Tyson manages production. He also exhibits some of his own art, more to that later.
O.MY first opened its doors to customers 18 months ago and it has been an amazing journey since then.
This year Blayne was nominated for Young Chef of the Year with The Age Good Food Guide. The award recognises Victoria’s best chef under 30 and is one of the most prestigious food awards within Victoria. Past winners include George Calombaris and Adam D’Sylva. An interview with Alla Wolf-Tasker, Phillip Mouchel and Andrew McConell lead to Blayne being shortlisted. The award will be announced in September.
As to the question of how nervous Blayne is about the whole award process he says this. “I am excited for what it means for the restaurant and for all my staff, but I am just trying to stick to business as usual, doing what I know and love no matter who walks through the door.”
Blayne Bertoncello looking cool in the kitchen.
I have eaten at O.MY many times and have written a lot about how much I love it. A visit to O.MY is personified by perfect service, an intimate and sophisticated dining room and creative and delicious food.
“The whole is bigger than the sum of the parts” is never more true than when dining at O.MY.
I met with Blayne Bertoncello recently to find out a little bit more about what inspires the man behind the pans and to find out where this food journey first started.
Two brothers gazing. Painting by Kate Lee art.
Blayne and two of his brothers grew up working at restaurants in the local area. At some point they decided that they would like to do their own thing, no matter how small, and so they set about finding a building that they could love. What they ended up with is an old Butcher shop with tons of character, in their local Beaconsfield.
They set about renovating the building and have kept part of the exposed brick storage door as a feature. Liberal sprinklings of modern art, some of it created by Tyson himself, completes the fit out.
Artwork by Tyson BertoncelloChayse with Candice, one of the awesome wait staff. Artwork by Callum Warren.
Part of what now sets O.MY apart from other local eateries is the fact that they offer a Degustation Menu only. This means Bayne is able to cook what he likes in the kitchen and bring the best of it to you, the diner. O.MY grow a lot of their own fresh produce in their kitchen garden and also at what is affectionately known as “Cardi Farm.” They also have locals providing them with produce that is abundant and in season and they are not averse to a little foraging. There is apparently quite a strong underground of locals with busy, bustling veggie gardens.
Blayne in the restaurant garden.
Blayne’s favourite dish is also my favourite; Pumpkin with chilli and garlic. Built around the no waste philosophy of food, the pumpkin is presented at the table covered in a pasta sheet made from the pumpkin skin and even the pumpkin seeds are roasted and added to the dish. It was amazingly delicious. The idea for the dish came to Blayne as he was sitting in a Hotel in Japan earlier in the year, reading cookbooks featuring no wastage recipes (how very rock star). Like everything else at the restaurant, the pumpkin dish is seasonal so you will have to visit at the right time to try it.
On the day I visited Blayne had also cooked lamb shoulder with garlic puree, turnip, wheat berries, rosemary and fresh silver beet.
Potato with artichoke and a 2 hour cooked egg.
He also took me for a tour around his kitchen, showed me his beautiful sour dough starter (the bread here is a passion and a highlight) his black garlic powder made from garlic cloves dehydrated for 3 months and a gorgeous, black truffle who’s providence will never be revealed!
Then we got down to the tough questions which Blayne enthusiastically answered while coolly cooking a Swordfish Dish for a local newspaper to photograph. This man does not buckle under pressure!
Favourite local cafe? “The General Food Store for its seasonal breakfast menu, great staff and quality coffee.” Blayne also mentioned “Big Spoon, Little Spoon” in Warragul although he was worried it was not local. I say a 40 minute drive is close enough for great food.
First dish you ever cooked? “Fettuccine Carbonara.” Classic! .
Most memorable meal? “Parsnip and apple dessert from Brae.” Hard to imagine so here is a pic. Brae is one of the top restaurants in Australia and was recently listed in the Worlds Top 50 Restaurants, 51-100 List. The man has style.
Name a chef who inspires you? “Renee Redzepi from the two Michelin starred restaurant Noma, in Copenhagen.” You can follow him on Instagram here.
Why Beaconsfield? “One, because it is where we live and two, because there was no other degustation restaurant in the area.” All three brothers grew up in the area and attended local schools. Blayne wanted to create locally, the kind of restaurant he loved to visit in the City. Smart man.
How do you create a menu? “Once we got into the garden, we knew we had to create food around what produce we could harvest and this stayed with us. “
How have the locals responded to O.MY. “They have been great. Locals drop off regular supplies of lemons, kale, or whatever else is in season. We have a lot of local people come in as our regular customers.”
What is it like working with your brothers? “It is just the same as when we were growing up together, except now we have facial hair.”
My final question for Blayne was “So do you still love it?” Blayne showed no hesitation in saying yes. Having started in the kitchen of a local restaurant when he was younger and finding he “loved the adrenaline rush” of a working kitchen, he then got addicted to “creating a dish and seeing people enjoy it”.
I recently had the pleasure of dining in the small, private dining room out the back of O.MY. And yes, we did really enjoy it.
Two friends had insisted that I take them to O.MY so they could see for themselves. We had a fantastic, intimate dining experience that was also bundles of fun. It was like having an off-the-charts dinner party at home, but with better food, decor and wine. AND without having to do the dishes. Part-ay! I could not recommend it enough.
But, I can’t leave you there.Go on, I know you want to.
Tyson is the eldest of the three brothers. He is responsible for the creation of some of the art in the restaurant, but also for overall production. Tyson sources the gorgeous ceramics, glassware and pottery and was even recently spotted making his own plates (on Instagram). He also sometimes cooks and sometimes acts as a waiter. Plus, Tyson is a keen gardener and oversees the veggie patch. Talented? Yes. He is also smart and sweet and a hard-working behind the scenes genius (or something like that).
Charming Chayse is the Sommelier at O.MY and also he also manages the floor. Friendly and funny, he somehow manages the perfect balance of attentiveness as a waiter. People love meeting Chayse, just read the reviews of O.MY. His chatter makes the food come alive for the diner. He also manages the restaurant floor like a boss.
Chayse is energetic and enthusiastic about his much-loved wine list. He might even share some music tips with you if you ask nicely. Plus he is friendly and nice.
Yep, these three brothers are all so very nice. And nice is awesome, in case you were wondering.
So I absolutely loved meeting Chayse, Blayne and Tyson at O.MY and taking a peek around their kitchen and restaurant. They were so friendly and welcoming, just as they always are when I eat in their restaurant. Blayne is a Chef on the move and his produce based cooking is exciting and delicious. I look forward to seeing what adventure he has in front of him next.
Good Luck in September boys from all of us at eatmystreet!
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