Oms & Noms, At Home

You may have noticed that there weren't many oms and noms in the Winter months. This is largely due to the fact that I have hibernation-like tendencies, hate going out and am even less sociable (what? is that even possible?) when it gets cold. Foodwise, I tend to cook a little more at home.

I'm going to go easy on the words for this blog as I have used up my string-words-into-coherent-sentences quota for the day. Think of it as a self-indulgent PowerPoint presentation, but better (so I hope!).

La Belle Miette Macarons, Avocado

Strawberries, Basil, Goats Cheese, Balsamic

What a sandwich really should look like

Tomato, Thyme, Goats Cheese Tart

Duck & Parsnip Pie, Raddiccio & Rocket Salad

Pie Innards

Olive Oil & White Wine Cake

Turkey Meatballs, Roast Vegetables

Nettle & Goats Cheese Fritatta

Portugese Egg Tarts

Oms & Noms, August to October

My phone had been operating really slowly of late and finally this morning, refused to respond to my commands. At the store, the guy gave it a quick check, gave me a funny look and then told me that I should probably delete my photos to speed it up. I was about to leave when he asked, 'Do you have any photos on there that aren't food-related?'

Oh, snap.

In other news, I can't understand how formatting works, so the paragraph spacing in ths blog is a bit off. Apologies if you're OCD like me, and it's really irritating you.

1. L'atelier de Monsieur Truffe, Brunswick East
http://monsieurtruffe.wordpress.com/latelier-menu/ 
I have blogged about this place on more than one occasion before, but forgive me - I have the misfortune of living in its vicinity. Plus, it really is one of those rare cafes with the full package - beautiful food presented with great thought, good coffee, and a wonderfully airy fit out. It tends to get quite busy on the weekends though, so I took advantage of the (now-a-mere-distant-memory) mid-semester break to visit a few times.

'Look, no hand(le)s!'
Which looks cool...
...but practically speaking, is kinda annoying.

The first time was a lovely and leisurely lunch with R and L. My lunch companions both opted for the 'Full Vegie Breakfast': eggs any way, spiced beans, oven dried tomatoes, sautéed spinach and avocado ($17), while I had the Free range smoked chicken salad with honey-glazed pumpkin, organic barley, wild rice, pine nuts and red grapes ($18), which was texture heaven.

On a second trip, I was joined by ye old faithful, A, for a brunch date. A zoned in, with an expert eye, on the Smoked salmon, Fuji apple and caper berries served on sourdough with a poached egg ($14). I feel that there may have been some fennel action involved as well. I was in an indulgent mood, so I ordered the 'Tartine Chocolat', a choice of either milk, 52% dark or 70% dark chocolate on toasted brioche ($11). The 52% was just perfect for moi, and the small mound of salt flakes for self-dispensing purposes was perfect for offsetting the sweetness.

Finally, I must make a plug for these awesome 'Magic Robots' they are currently selling for $4 a pop. Aren't they süber (super + über) cute? And best of all, there's more than meets the eye...

2. Small Victories, North Carlton
http://smallvictoriesrestaurant.com.au/
The Breakfast Club caught up here quite a while ago, with a surprise visit from X. In all honesty, I can't say I was wowed by the food; by all means, it wasn't bad, just nothing mind-blowing, particularly given the prices we were paying. I'm hoping that things have improved; a future visit is on the cards. E had the Organic eggs on toast (scrambled of course, because that preference really seems to be ingrained into her DNA) with Oven-baked mushrooms, garlic and rye crisp ($9.5 + $6); I went for the Baked eggs with house-smoked salmon, organic quark and fine herbs ($16); while R and L had the Granola with elderflower, poached rhubarb, lychee, organic yoghurt and berry powder ($12). I think the granola was probably the standout dish of the lot.

 

3. Sticky Fingers Bakery
http://www.stickyfingersbakery.com.au/
In the month of August, $20 could secure one a seat to a dessert-related film screening and an appropriately-themed candy bar pack, courtesy of Sticky Fingers Bakery. G and I went to the screening of Waitress, a left-of-centre comedy about love, babies and making pies (no euphemisim, really) which is definitely worth a watch.

 
Our candy bar packs consisted of a Fantale Popcorn Slice, Choc Cherry Cola Cupcake, Coffee & Donut Cupcake, and in honour of the film, a Mini Cherry Pie. Woohoo!

Sticky Fingers Bakery also do deliveries of various delicious cupcakes, cakes and custom cakes (including this rad "Ghosty Cake", second photo), and occasionally throw themed dessert nights at the Gasometer Hotel; 'liking' them on Facebook is a wise move.

4. The Moor's Head, Thornbury
http://www.themoorshead.com/
Home of 'inauthentic pizza', this relaxed restaurant focuses on pizza with a Middle Eastern twist. The sibling and I had the 'Inauthentic Banquet', which at $25 a head, is very reasonable. (Yes, they do like the word 'inauthentic'.) The aforementioned banquet began with a trio of starters: Radishes with salt, Pickled vegetables with olives and Baby peppers stuffed with feta and walnuts. Heaps of crunchy goodness.

The 'Omar Sharif': three cheeses, oregano, fresh mint, nigella, soused onions. A boat of cheeeeeeeeeese. That pretty much sums it up. Definitely best gobbled immediately with hands while still hot and oozy. Congealed cheese just doesn't quite taste the same.

The 'Fake Millionaire': minced beef, hummus, pine nuts, chilli, parsley. Also delicious, and a more zingy set of flavours which made a great foil to the Omar Sharif.

The banquet also comes with a choice of salad - from memory, we picked the roquette, shankleesh (a kind of hard, crumbly cheese) and Iranian raisins.

Really good value. And they do takeaway!

5. Wonderbao, CBD
http://www.wonderbaokitchen.com.au/
I love the name of this place - you can't say it and not feel happy. It also reminds me of this hit, and also the expression, 'wunderbar!', both of which are excellent things.

This tiny space - down an alleyway, naturally - churns out delicious bao (or baozi, as I grew up calling them), delicious steamed buns with various fillings. Unlike most of the authentic bao-houses you'll find in Chinatown, this place is slick, clean and has white hipsters making your bao. Not that there's anything wrong with the last point, I just found it [insert some wank about cultures clashing/melding/juxtaposing]. 

Along with all the classics, like char siu bao (a very reasonable $2), these guys also do gua bao, which are kinda like taco-fied bao. I opted for the Roast pork belly gua bao, with cucumber, pickled carrot, daikon and hoisin sauce and a Fried silky tofu gua bao, with pickled mustard, coriander, sweet soy sauce and crushed peanuts ($3.8 each). Good stuff.

 The standout, though, is the nai wong bao, or egg custard concoction. When I first bit into this, it rendered me speechless. As in, I just kept wordlessly motioning to the uneaten half in my hand while my dining companions just looked at me with a mixture of concern and amusement. It's the perfect ratio of bun to filling, and the custard innards are substantial, sweet and fluffy all at the same time. Get one (or six) in ya!

  
6. Pope Joan, Brunswick East
http://popejoan.com.au/
This place, as I've blogged about before, does the kind of food which makes you wish you had a bottomless stomach and wallet so you could have one of everything. Recently however, I've been visiting this place for afternoon catchups with P, so we've been 'limiting' ourselves to a 'diet' of sweet treats.

In photographic order: Warm chocolate brownie; Orange and marmalade cake; Carrot cake; Lemon tart with an amazing vanilla bean cream (around $5 each).

Also, how cute is the way they serve their Boiled eggs, soldiers, bacon bits, herb salt ($9)?

7. Carlton Esspresso, Carlton
http://www.docgroup.net/
The sun was shining yesterday (in Melbourne?! No way!), so G and I made the most of it, doing a spot of people watching while lunching on Lygon Street. She had the Quinoa with pistachio pesto, asparagus, zucchini, yoghurt and lemon ($14), and I went for the Black rice salad with tuna and Tuscan greens ($16). I am now in love with black rice.

Also, a D.O.C. deli has opened up next door to Carlton Espresso, and stocks all kinds of deliciousness in a really lovely space. The samples of parmesan drizzled with truffled honey was a revelation.

Happy eating!

 

Two Birds One Stone, South Yarra

It appears cafes occupy different spaces south of the river.

In my initial search for Two Birds One Stone this (fecking cold) morning, I walked straight past its shiny glass facade and brightly illuminated interior looking for a nondescript warehouse down a nondescript alley. Although I don't have an issue with the industrial look, this makes for a nice change - there's an airy and spacious feeling with plenty of soft lighting and a light-oak-based fitout. I loved the main light fixture at the counter which resembles an organic chemistry stick diagram. E, R and L - my breakfasting companions who don't study science - greeted this observation with nonplussed expressions.

But enough of inedible objects.

The food at Two Birds One Stone is generous, beautifully presented, and most importantly, absoutely delicious.

R and E, continuing their tradition of ordering the same meal, both opted for the 'One Stone', which consisted of eggs, mushrooms, avocado, haloumi, house smoked corn and tomato relish ($17.5). Below is R's version with poached eggs, and the camera-shy multigrain toast poking out a timid corner.

For those curious cats out there, the 'Two Birds' breakfast is a carnivore's heaven, with eggs, bacon, tomato, pork chilli and fennel sausage, mushrooms and tomato relish ($18.5). No doubt most guys probably still consider that insufficient in the protein stakes, though.

L ordered the most visually attractive dish of the table: Smashed avocado and feta with capers, tomato, radish, red onion and dill ($15.5), and an additional side of mushrooms.

For moi, the Roasted field mushrooms, toasted house made brioche, Meredith feta and watercress ($15.5), which I boosted to epic proportions with a perfectly poached egg and avocado. The slightly sweet brioche toast was a lovely foil to the tangy feta. But that was nothing compared to the mushrooms, which embodied mushroom juiciness, texture and umami flavour to perfection. I'm getting all wistful just thinking about them...

For my next visit, I'm bringing a sweet tooth (either own or borrowed is fine). The sweeties cabinet was stocked with srumptious bites such as decadent flourless cupcakes with lucious quinelles of chocolate mousse icing while the Housemade bircher with honey poached pears, pistachios and cranberries on the breakfast menu looks amaze.

Based on the excellent coffees, one might hazard a guess that this cafe is a mighty good stone with which to kill both your coffee and food cravings in one fell swoop. Seems a lot of others have had a similar idea though - be prepared to wait. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as you're likely to be seduced by the lunch time offerings (think salt cod and poato fritters, braised lamb with crumbed peas and feta...)!

Two Birds One Stone
12 Claremont St
South Yarra
Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm
http://www.twobirdsonestonecafe.com.au/

Cookie Cornucopia

I made cookies today.
By this, I mean eighty cookies (give or take a few).

This baking frenzy was the result of a few recent happenings:

1. Purchasing a lot of French AOP butter at the recent Simon Johnson sale. I'm not going to specify the quantity because that will probably cause your arteries to seize up and nobody wants that.
2. Discussing - at great length, and to fairly impressive detail - the question, 'If you were a cookie/biscuit, what would you be?' Try it: it's surprisingly fun.
3. A genetic/social/imagined predisposition to doing things ludicriously over the top. The last time I did something of this scale was probably my birthday smörgåsbord, after which I swore I'd never do anything like that again. I guess we all betray ourselves in the end...

Anyway, I swear this time, I'm not doing anything like this again. The amount of incidental cookie dough and butter I ingested is probably illegal in several countries. I'm pretty sure my evening run was powered purely by cookie.
 
I digress. Here are the cookies, in no particular order:

Passionfruit melting moments

I discovered custard powder (yes, such a thing exists!) is actually pink. Luckily, these melting moments turned out a more natural colour. 

Chocolate and sour cherry shortbread

Sour cherries aren't really the prettiest member of the dried fruit family, and, let's face it: dried fruit aren't really that visually attractive to begin with. However, they do make for a delicious contrast to a rich, sandy, chocolatey biscuit.

Peanut and almond cookies

I nabbed this recipe from a Donna Hay magazine; that woman is a styling legend, turning the ordinary almond into decorative cookie centrepiece. Am I being sarcastic? I'm not sure...
(Note the apples placed strategically in the background to deceive passersby into thinking this cookie is healthy.)

Monte Carlos

This recipe is from the Sydney Morning Herald - coconut cookies with a vanilla bean buttercream and  raspberry jam filling. I found the buttercream on the sweet side, so I neutralised it with a thicker than usual slather of raspberry jam. Problem fixed slash masked.

Cranberry and pistachio shortbread with white chocolate drizzle

I got lazy and stopped taking nice photos of my cookies.

Last week, I also made some orange shortbread with candied peel and fresh zest. Drizzled with dark chocolate, naturally.

 
Okay, self-indulgence over. I promise to next post pictures of food made by actual professionals, and duly documented in an amateur manner.

Final point to ponder: what cookie are you?

 

North Side Brunching & Lunching

I could provide you with a myriad reasons explaining my absence over the last couple of months: hectic uni assignments, too many wild nights clubbing, abduction by extraterrestrial life forms, hand-raising an orphaned unicorn...but I'd be lying.

The honest truth is I'm friggin' lazy. No surprise to all of you who know me well.

But let's skim over my shortcomings and get to the food!

1. Beatrix, North Melbourne
I am a Beatrix zealot. I follow their Facebook page with more interest than is normal or healthy. Which explains why I ended up with this hunk o' deliciousness. The 'Wanda' ($13.5) - consisting of smoked salmon, creme fraiche potato salad, roast tomatoes, watercress and crispy onions - really hit the spot.

G, who was dragged along, opted for the wild mushroom option, the name of which I have forgotten. The cheese was unbelievable, of the rich, intense, gooey, conversation-stopping, eye-popping variety. Sadly, this photo doesn't really do it justice.

A gingerbread hula-hoop ($3) to finish!

And then, just when I thought I'd had my fill of Beatrix baked goods for the forseeable future (i.e. two weeks max.), the Elvis cupcake ($5.5) made an appearance. I duly came to pay my respect to the King: a banana buttercake base, topped with peanut buttercream and shards of crispy, smoked bacon praline. Lived up to the Melbourne food blogosphere hype.

2. Middle Fish, Carlton
Stopped by for a quick lunch to mentally and physically prep for a five-hour prac (gaaah). Caramelised pork belly with greens and a fried egg ($14.5) was a wise choice: morsels of salty, sweet, fatty goodness and a still slightly gooey egg yolk perched atop a perfect mound of rice, perfect for soaking up sauciness.

3. Gingerlee, Brunswick East
So A - my med friend, whose natural habitat appears to be KereKere - and I have been planning to go here for what seems like an age. But then inevitably, I get sick, or A is hungover and brunch dates are postponed. Until WE MADE IT HAPPEN (last week). We stuck to what are arguably Gingerlee's 'signature dishes': I opted for the Baked eggs with beans, stewed tomato, coriander and yoghurt, while A had the Syrian sandwich with rhubarb, pistachio and star anise yoghurt (around $17 each).

Servings are prettttty generous for the beans, and A praised the toast's ability to maintain integrity  despite assaults from various forms of deliciousness (thumbs up!). Coffee was solid.

4. Wide Open Road, Brunswick
This place is the cafe du jour, which I'm not 100% in agreement with. The food is solid, the coffee is great, the staff friendly, the fitout relaxed and spacious (thank goodness, because the exterior of this building has a facade only a mother could love)...but I just think it's missing that extra factor. R and E, being of the vegetarian persuasion, both opted for the Lightly scrambled eggs with multigrain toast, truffle oil and avocado, in place of the usual smoked salmon/free range bacon options ($14.5). I went for the Smashed peas, topped with pecorino cheese, goats cheese, crispy pancetta and lemon ($13); they certainly give you a shedload of peas, not that you'll hear me complaining.

5. Milkwood, Brunswick East
Coffee and cake with my history-lovin', vampire-adorin', Beatle-dotin' friend P was in order, so we met at our equidistant safehouse, Milkwood. The baked goods here are supersized and delicious. P nabbed the last slice of a luscious Banana cake, cloaked in cream cheese frosting ($5), and I opted for a massive Chocolate lamington ($5). Perfect accompaniments to great, and sometimes ludicrous, conversation.

Expert cross-sectional dissection to reveal raspberry jam innards.

The next two destinations are extreme north side brunching, by which I mean I was actually in Brisbane. Still counts.


6. Gunshop Cafe, West End
The food wasn't up to usual standards when I visited, but hopefully it's just a rare occurrence rather than the norm. Potato fetta hash cakes, spinach, tomato and herb sour cream ($16.5), and Berry French toast ($18.5) were selected as stomach satisfiers on this occasion.

7. Lady Marmalade Cafe, Stones Corner
When up in Brisbane, C treated me to a lovely lunch at Lady Marmalade, a cute and kitsch (in a good way) cafe. C had the 'Gringo' baked eggs with wagyu, chorizo and black bean ragu, herbs and fetta ($13.5), and I was seduced by 'B-HAL-T', a bacon, haloumi and tomato cousin of the BLT ($11). Both pretty amazing, judging by the halt in gossip when the food arrived. Also, note the epic peacock toothpick; as I suffer from hoarder tendencies, it's actually sitting right next to me as I type this.

 

Phew! Seems I'm a bit rusty at this bloggin' shiz. More posts to follow soon...

P.S.: Happy Bastille Day for yesterday! Hope you had some delicious French food; La Belle Miette's milk chocolate and passionfruit macarons certainly added some love to my day!