Monday Melbourne Roundup

I am sooooooo glad its 7 weeks till MIFF. We have a break kids!! But then again its 7 weeks to MIFF!!! ARRRGGHHH! My most favourite 2 weeks of the year.

out.

Food Writing - Emerging Writers Festival

I didn’t really have any expectations of this talk. I didn’t know any of the speakers but was keen to hear what they had to say. I guess the things I took away from it is how many different types of food writing there is! (of course in my world there is only food blogging ha!) and that writing a recipe can be an art form in itself. Its really clicked my mind into overload now on how I want to present information on this blog (especially recipes) so hopefully you will see a tighter more cogent blog for the future. Many thanks to Lisa Dempster and the festival for the comp.

Daschund UN - Next Wave

Too cute for words. Highlights, when the speaker of the house went nuts and just barked for about 5 minutes and then twirled around and around in circles on his seats, when the dogs just started gnawing on their microphones, the butt sniffing and the occasional pair of hands that would pop up to reposition the dogs. Adorable. Next Wave, you ruled! Thanks!

Markov Place - Book Club

Markov place is fah-bu-lous. God I love Carlton. This months pick was "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. This is what I love about book club (apart from the amazing ladies) is I am reading things I wouldn’t ordinarily read (due to my unfortunate proclivity towards being an insufferable snob). I really loved this book! It was a cracking read and excellent for its 'detective' genre. I couldn’t put it down. I cant wait to read the other two in the series.

eats.drinks

Trippy Taco

No photos! But I had their regular tacos (not the tofu asada) and was FAR more satisfied this time. Perhaps my palate just thinks tofu does not belong in Mexican food :)

Trippy Taco one and two.

Bimbo Deluxe

I had my usual and it did not disappoint. Yum yum.

fried banana pancake sandwich

A perfect way to start a Sunday. We always have an over abundance of bananas each week and I'm finding more and more ways to 'hide them' from myself (I hate bananas! not so much the taste but the texture). I present the banana pancake sandwich.

Recipe from Veganomicon

ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons raw sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 to 1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup of water
1 banana sliced
1 tbsp of marg
Syrup for serving

method
1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, milk and water until a smooth mixture is formed.

2. Slice the banana on an angle in medium slices and fry in the margarine until golden brown. Remove the bananas from the heat and fry up your pancakes.

3. Smoosh the bananas into the first layer of pancake and add a layer of syrup, then douse the top pancake with margarine and syrup. YUM!

notes: To make this extra decadent throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips into the pancake batter or spread a layer of peanut butter in the sandwich middle.

roast vegie cheesy pie

Mm its that time again. Roast vegies, pies, roast vegie pies. I really REALLY missed cooking while I was away and it was nice to get cracking in my new houses COMPLETELY MASSIVE kitchen. I cubed into bite size pieces cauliflower, broccoli, garlic and sweet potato, tossed them lightly in some olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 200 degrees celcius until the vegies started to brown on the outside (the broccoli will burn but is a taste sensation, if this is not your thing remove from the oven before they start to blacken). Line a pie pan with pastry, throw in a handful of frozen peas (or whatever frozen veg you have lying around), slather in cheesy sauce, pop a lid on it and bake for at 200 degrees until golden crisp deliciousness (about 20 minutes).

Cheezy Sauce (from memory from Veganomicon)

Ingredients
1/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups stock
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs yellow mustard
1/8 tsp of tumeric
2 tbsp of lemon juice (I didn’t use this and it still tasted amazing)

Sweat garlic in olive oil until just starting to turn. Warm the stock with the garlic then slowly whisk in the flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir continually over medium heat until sauce reaches desired consistency (about 5 minutes for a thick sauce).

Notes: My hopes were not high for this sauce recipe. How wrong was I! Simply delicious. I used a mild mustard (djion) which gave it the kick I like. For the uninitiated, Nutritional Yeast Flakes (or Nooch as Vegans lovingly refer to it) can be purchased at any health food store (and some Safeways). I used Homebrand puff pastry (ninja vegan) and organic vegies from my Mooreland Co-Op vegie box. Bon Appetite!

Piemaker - Edinburgh

This is the final overseas food posts! I was surprised at how much vegan food was readily available in Edinburgh. This popular pie shop (who I thought had no hope in hell in feeding me) had 2 vegan options!! Pictured is the delicious Moroccan veg pie, I also tried their Thai mushroom pie. Delicious, cheap and easy.

deets: Piemaker 38 South Bridge, Edinburgh
$$: I think my pasty was 1.60 quid

The Baked Potato Shop - Edinburgh

Vegan haggis. No seriously. Vegan haggis on a baked potato with vegan margarine and vegan pakora. WHAT JOY! This was seriously the best thing I ate while I was away. I mixture of nuts and lentils and some other stuff that dreams our made out of. Thanks to Miss Mango Cheeks for the referral.

deets: The Baked Potato Shop 56 Cockburn Street, Old Town, Edinburgh EH1 1PB

$$: plate of vegie pakoras, 2 sodie pops, 2 vegan haggis potatos didnt even make 10 squid. Bargain!

Monday Melbourne Roundup

Hit the ground running. It’s the only way to get over post holiday depression. Honestly I could have used more sleep and time at home unpacking moving boxes but with Next Wave festival on and Emerging Writers just starting its not a time to sleep. Sleep when you're dead kidlets.

out.

La Sonnambula

Very slow moving, essentially your campy opera story of mistaken identity/accusations of being a strumpet/happy ending wedding. I was too exhausted to enjoy this properly so I cant really comment, I fell asleep about 4 times during it.

100 Proofs the Earth is Not a Globe - Next Wave Festival

To rid my thoughts of moving back overseas I decided to immerse myself back into Melbourne IMMEDIATELY when returning from overseas. This was perfect. Ferried away from Thousand Pound Bend in a bus with a blindfold on and sharing an ipod with the person next to me, we were played ambient sounds with brain washing (NLP) technique voice overs for about half an hour until we reached our destination (which was some sort of space science research centre something). We were then split into groups due to the colour of our preordained name tag and clutching our rocks which we had to choose when checking in for the space flight. I was taken to the assimilation centre, given a space suit to wear and greeted by a lovely lady in a purple beehive putting plastic flower leis over us. Its worth noting that we were all completely silent by the time we got off the bus and stayed that way during the entire performance.

After our 5-10 minute initiation video (essentially a mash up of Carl Sagan esque space footage, Benny Hinn type infomercials and Hillsong sermons) we were ushered into a room and told to put on moon boots and a safari hat covered in cheesecloth and lead into a dome that was exactly like Mars. Red rock and sand with 2 men sitting on a rock at the end. One man was dressed like a British Raj and the other was dressed like a vaudeville monkey. Upon arriving, a projection of a person dressed exactly like us appeared on the wall and the monkey man and raj jumped up and started following the movements that the projection was doing. Eventually we all started doing it. At this point I was thinking that the other group can see us.
After about 5 minutes of that we were ushered into the original dome we had been greeted in by which had had everything completely removed out of it and were told our instructions were on the inside of our badges. I had to enter the room and walk a trace of a figure 8 clockwise with my rock prominent and swap rocks with anyone who crossed my path. We all did this with serious solemnity for about maybe 5 minutes or ten minutes. On our instructions we were told once the music died down we were to all lay our bee keep hats in a circle with our rocks inside them. Whilst I was tracing my figure out I looked up and notice lots of people in white coats and doctors headbands observing us… I thought THAT’S THE OTHER GROUP they've been observing our assimilation the whole time. We were then ushered into a changing room and told to remove all of our protective clothing and get onto the bus.

This was one of the coolest art projects I've seen/participated in. The Tape Projects group do lots of amazing stuff, keep an eye out for them. This is completely sold out for the rest of Next Wave.. So SORRY!.

Richard the Third

Most brilliant, gripping amazing thing I've seen all year. Ewen Leslie is spellbinding and blood curdling as the completely mental, blood thirsty Richard. Everyone loves a good villain and really Richard the Third has to be one of the best and most dastardly. I was palpably excited about going to see this mainly because my favourite Melbourne actress Allison Whyte is in it and it did not disappoint. A modern staging that WORKS, the parallel they draw between the Clinton/Bush/Obama administrations works astonishingly well and it’s a stroke of genius. Seriously, this is one of the best things I've seen in a couple of years. If you are at all interested in the theatre I suggest you see this.

Panel of Judges at the Birmingham

I'm trying to see more local bands. Panel of Judges is becoming one of my Melbourne absolutely faves. I was introduced to Hissey Miyake as well which were fantastic. It was nice to get shitfaced.

eats.drinks

Lord of the Fries

I had my usual. Yum.

Berlin Bar

Total Melbourne wank but I liked it. Find some musty stairs and walk to the top, ring the bell on the industrial door with an look out slit and wait for a very cute waiter to answer and escort you upstairs. You have the choice of dining and drinking in the very swanky West Berlin side or slumming it in the bombed out graffiti covered east. An impressive cocktail list and very VERY mixed crowd, it kind of won my heart.. After loudly proclaiming I HATE THIS PLACE within 5 minutes of being there. Most definitely the new Gin Palace.

Voner der Vegetarische Doner - Berlin

Look at it. No really, look at it. Yum yum that went ALL in my gob and it was FREAKING delicious. The menu was all in German, we could figure out most things but decided to go for this and it was a surprise plate of amazingness. I havent had tzatziki in SOOO long. Everything was home made and delicious: dolmades, stuffed eggplant, hommous, tsatziki, stuffed capsicum, pickled veg. Some of the nicest Middle Eastern food since leaving Sydney. Eat lunch there and go to Cupcake like we did! yum!

deets: Address: Boxhagenerstr 56, Friederichshain (no website)
$$: I think it was about 5 euros each

Cupcake - Berlin

On a cold and drizzly day exploring Freidrichshain we stopped into cupcake for a vegan cupcake and some coffee. Cupcake is SUPER cute and was the warm and snuggly way we loved getting out of the cold. They only had one selection of vegan cupcakes that day and Bill and I inhaled them. They were super moist with awesome frosting. Something definitely not to miss if you're going to Berlin.

Kristy and Toby also went there.

deets: Krossener Straße 12, Friedrichshain, 10245 Berlin website: http://www.cupcakeberlin.de
$$: 2 cupcakes and 2 coffees were almost 9 euros

Yellow Sunshine - Berlin

YUMMMM. Fake meatarama situated in trendy Kreutzberg. Bill and I went a couple of times, on the first trip I had the Double Chicken Hawaii burger with chips and mayo (vegan) and the second time I had the Lappland Cheeseburger with a side salad (that had the dreamiest creamiest vegan dressing I've ever had). The chicken burger was out of control, the steak burger was a little dry for my liking. Its all you think it can be and more. They also had a selection of vegan desserts that I didnt try but am sad now I passed.

GO THERE. Kristy and Toby did as well.

deets: YELLOW SUNSHINE, WIENER STRASSE 19, BERLIN 10999 website: http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/index.html
$$: most burgers max out at the 5 euro mark

Dolores - Berlin

Bills was so awesome it exploded. Fantastic mexican takeaway in the centre of Berlin. The shop is bright, the music is amazing and everything is clearly labelled meat/vegetarian/vegan. Bill and I went there twice, I got the Dolores vegan burrito. It comes furnished with lime tofu, black beans, fajita vegies (SO FREAKING DELICIOUS), salsa verde, brown rice and guacamole. After a tiring day of being a tourist and only having had a salad all day I completely inhaled this. We ate there a couple of times and it was awesome every time. Highly recommended.

deets: rosa-luxemburg-str. 7, 10178 berlin website: http://www.dolores-online.de/
$$: burrito 5.70 euros

Eve and Adams - Berlin

Organic salad bar? Can I get a hells yes!! Bill did a mix your own salad where I chose to have the Waldorf. Mine was DEEEELICIOUS, cabbage, candied ginger, cashews, celery, pineapple and apple with cashew cream dressing. It was seriously amazing, I thought the candied ginger would be weird but it fitted completely. I went there a few times I was totally hooked.

Deets: Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 26, 10178 Berlin, Germany, 030 28047977
website: http://www.eveandadams.com/
$$: Waldorf salad 5.25 Euros

M&S Super Whole Food Salad

Another example of a box salad you can buy with ease in the supermarket (or at the airport as was the case). Fresh, the hummous was nice and so was the tortilla. Not going to win any awards any time soon, but for food on the go not only passable actually really nice.

deets: Marks and Spencer - everywhere
$$: I cant remember maybe 4 quid?

Pinchos Tapas Bar - Twickenham

What a gem. I adore the completely stunning Twickenham/Richmond area. Church St is the real 'foody' district of Twickenham and all the restaurants were full to bursting on a Friday night. After a bit of jostling and almost leaving the head waiter came running out and told us we could have a table and thank god he did. The food was absolutely magnificent. Patatas Bravas with a mild tomato sauce, shallow fried artichoke hearts, chickpeas in a broth type sauce and tabbouleh. I'm practically drooling over myself right now. With excellent service, a cosy warm tiled dining room on a drizzly Friday night with Mark, I cant think of a more perfect night. Ti amo Pinchos.

Food: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Space: 8/10

Overall: 18/20

deets: 55 Church Street, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3NR Tel: 020 8892 1096
$$: I didnt pay and there is no website, I estimate about 20 quid each for the food

Root Master - Shoreditch - London

Situated in an old Routemaster (boom chic and no 'root' does not mean the same in London BAHA) bus parked in the old brewery car park in Brick Lane, its certainly a kitschy Londony affair. The service was lovely and it was a sunny day so we sat outside. Bill and I shared the pan fried polenta with sundried tomatoes and olives. Bill had the Mediterranean pasta and I had the vegie burger. The polenta plate was almost completely tasteless and my burger wasn't bad but it wasnt great either. Bill gave the same comments for his pasta. Would I go back? Probably not. I mean its inoffensive and I love the concept but the food was just bland and uninspiring. Especially where theres so much other amazing food to be had at Spitalfields Markets just around the corner.

Deets: Ely's Yard, Truman Brewery Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QL
$$: There's no website and I cant really remember I think it was about 20 squid each all up.

Giraffe - All around London

I had the Super Healthy Vegie, Oregano and Fetta Salad (minus the fetta). Broccoli, snap peas, mung bean sprouts, borlotti beans, avocado, bulgar wheat, toasted seeds, rocket, cherry tomatoes & baby spinach with our herby house dressing.

Cheap and cheerful chain restaurant where you can be guaranteed something fresh and quick to eat. Everything is labeled clearly. Really what more can you ask for?

deets: a list of all the locations are here
$$: My salad was 8.95 (quid) and the naan was 1.25

Vegan About Towns Experiences here

Monday Melbourne Roundup x Deux - London, Berlin, Edinburgh and Melbourne Edition

Well, things have been chaotic is Carla land. I'll try and keep this brief. I spent 10 days in London (with brief little side trips to Brighton and Richmond) then 5 days in Berlin then a weekend in Edinburgh and a brief 48 hours back in London to get my stuff then home. Phew. I'm exhausted. I ate so much amazing food in Europe I'm salivating looking at all the pictures. Well, onto the food, you will be seeing these posted over the coming weeks. As promised I will be doing twice daily posts to clear the backlog.

Eats.drinks.

Berlin - Germany
Yellow Sunshine
Cupcake
Dolores
Voner der Vegetarische Doner
Eve and Adams

Edinburgh - Scotland
The Baked Potato Shop
Pie Maker

Out.

Berlin. I'm going to lay it down. All my Euro friends bang on about how UHHHHHHH MAAAAZZZZIIIINNNNG Berlin is so I had high expectations. I was really super disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, Bill and I had a rad time we did some AWESOME stuff, saw some great art, some excellent architecture and over all had an awesome time. But it made me really homesick for Melbourne. It was like a cheaper, shittier version of Melbourne. Ahh Melbourne. I love you. I'm sure if you like smoking rocks and going to raves Berlin is your place. I think the best of Berlin would take place from 1am to 9am. I'm glad I went though and its definitely ticked off the list now. Recommendations (apart from the awesome food) everyone loves Kreutzberg as the 'alterna' area bladdy blah but Bill and I really loved Freidrichshain more. So I would suggest you go of course everywhere but pay more attention to Freidrichshain if you have to choose. The Reichstag is stunning. The Alernative Tour of Berlin is FANTASTIC and I would regard that as a MUST! (Toby and Kristys review here)

Edinburgh. Is. Stunning. What a beautiful city. I was only there for the weekend but had a blast. Went to the Scottish Museum (a must) and Arthurs Seat (also a must - the most amazing views of the city) and really just hung around with my friend Hannah taking it all in. I would love to go back and explore more next time! Scotland is just stunning. I want to do waaay more!

London. Well London, what can I say? I used to live there so I don’t know what to tell you to do its all there. Theatre, galleries, history, food. I'm thinking about moving back.

Melbourne. But of course within 36 hours of being in Melbourne I was at a gallery opening as part of a festival launch, watching a roof projection of a pulsating anus and thinking to myself there is no farking way I could ever leave this place. Nom nom kiss kiss snuggle snuggle Melbourne I love you. I think I'll have to find a way of making babies with a city. Surely it can be done yes? Next Wave is on kidlets. Go and roam free.

For posterity the films I saw while I was away (I keep track of them through this in order to do my end of year lists):

Banksys Exit Through the Gift Shop



Fucking. Amazing. A very Banksy take on himself, documentaries and the art world. 4.5/5

I Love You Philip Morris



This was also excellent. 4/5.

Its Complicated



Apart from the nauseating 'gal pal' dinner scenes this film was actually very cute and sharp (coming from an obviously bitter single woman that's a high compliment). Alec Baldwin is a God amongst men.

Shutter Island



I've heard quite a few 'meh' reviews about this film. I freaking LOVE Scorsese, The Departed was easily in my top ten films of the 2000s, so I was curious to still see this film after all the trash talk. Look, I figured out the entire film by about 1/4 of the way through its not that hard, the score is over the top and completely out of place and its pretty long but it captivated me. I really liked it. Yeah its not his best work but its still a very good film. 3.5/5.

Itadaki Zen - Kings Cross - London

A vegan, organic Japanese restaurant. The premise is awesome, the execution not so much. To start with it was eyewateringly expensive. Thankfully my friend had a 'Taste London' two for one card which made it pallatable (boom chic). We had the degustation menu which consisted of:

8 Pieces of sushi (includes oriental herbs, nori-age and deep fried seaweeds)
Vegetable Kakiage tempura or Harumaki (spring rolls)
Lightly pan-fried vegetables with delicate dressing or special salt seasoning
Naturally made Potato salad
Pudding Dessert
Yu-Tofu

I also had their house specialty tea brewed with soy milk which was delicious. I certainly felt healthier after this meal but wont go back. The pieces of sushi were bland and the rest of the bento box didnt float my boat (bar the spring rolls they were delicious). I'm glad I tried it however. I didnt manage to get a picture of all the dishes so sorry! My camera died.

Kristy and Toby have nicer things to say about Itadaki Zen.

Service - wonderful attentive but not intrusive 9/10
Space - a calm and zen if not a little squashed 7/10
Food - didnt float my boat 5/10

Overall - 13/20

deets: 139 King's cross Road London WC1X 9BJ Tel: 02072783573
www.itadakizen.com
$$ Set Menu 1 - £21.00 they then include a 10% service tip

Grubbs Burgers - Brighton and Hove

A great little spot to duck into. Usually full of uni students, they're not going to win best in show but on a cold day where I wanted a bit of deep fried action they really hit the spot. I had the hawaiian burger with onion rings. Nom nom nom.

deets: 13 York Pl Brighton BN1 4GU
$$: I think my whole meal was about a Fiver, it was cheap in any event.

gallipoli bazaar - angel islington - london

Best. Middle Eastern Food. Ever. Srsly. AND I grew up in Sydney (sorry Fatimas I still love you). We did the Vegetarian mezze for two and Tom got a few bits and pieces on the side. The majority of the vegie mezze is vegan. It includes:

Vine leaves
Hommous
Baba Gahnoush
Cacik (yoghurt)
Potato Salad
Broadbeans served over yoghurt
Kisir (crushed wheat, spring onion and herb salad)
Tabbouleh
Black Bean Salad
Turkish bread
Borek (cheese)

For my omni friends it was a boon for them as they got to enjoy all the dairy dishes but there was so much food we could not finish it all. And there was one dish we did not like (I think it was the potato salad). The food so far in England has been ok, nothing special and nothing like the freshness I enjoy in Australia. I am impressed at how things have changed, how vegan is understood AND catered for and there is a much more diverse selection of groceries than before. However I havent really eaten anything at Melbourne level and certainly not beyond, bar Gallipoli. This is the stuff I dream of.

deets: There are 3 Gallipolis on Upper St, all are amazing. Website with address here.
$$: 10.95 per person for the mezze

Monday Melbourne Roundup - London and Brighton Edition

I'm rushing to write this at an internet cafe in Luton. So perhaps I will forget a few things. There are 2 tweenie kids busking singing Beatles songs that are melting my icy heart into a puddle of love. This trip has been exhausting but I've spent wonderful time with friends mainly communing, comiserating and loving over food. This is now being finished in The Circus Hostel in Berlin, it took me all day to get here but its soooo worth it.

out.

Enron



It was awesome to see a modern play that was well written, magnificently executed and had tonnes of money in the production. The lead, Samuel West was astonishing as Jeffrey Skilling and the back up all singing and dancing cast were amazing. The other leads I thought were pretty terrible. I also saw John Cleese which totally made me squeal. If you are heading to London I highly recommend seeing it (there is going to be a New York production too).

Into-You Tattoo
I got my half sleeves finally finished at the place that started it all. I see Lucy and she is super talented and lovely. Great tattoo studio in Clerkenwell.

Celeste Bousiuer at the Barbican



Serious one of the most beautiful art installations I've ever experienced. Grown adults grinning at each other like loons with child like glee. I want to live there. I was concerned about the welfare about the finches but they live a great life (if not in an artificial environment). Go.and.see.it.

The Tate Modern
One of my favourite galleries in the world. I went through all 6 floors but the paid exhibition Van Doesburg was toe curlingly beautiful. I need to post photos at some point Iäm jsut not that organised at the moment.

The Woman in Black

OH MY GOD this is one of those West End shows that have been playing for a million years. It was SUPER CAMP, I loved every second of it.

Dogtooth



The most screwed up movie I've seen since Bad Boy Bubby. Says it all really.

eats.drinks.

London
The Ivy
Gallipoli Bazaar
The Tate Modern
Itadaki Zen
6 St Chads Place
Root Master
Giraffe

Twickenham - UK
Pincho Tapas Restaurant

Brighton
Grubbys Burgers

Seriously too many to remember, you will see them coming through in the next couple of weeks. I will write about the Ivy because I didnt take any photos so there wont be a separate post for it.

The Ivy - London

Id been to the Ivy before when I was living in London, though I was only vegetarian then. I rang to let them know a vegan was going to be coming in and the waiter was kind of silent pause on the phone, which caused me to blather on 'usually the chef appreciates it when I call and let the kitchen staff know' he said there was a vegan menu so not to worry. Well the vegetarian menu had one vegan option on it, a witlof salad with a light dressing (seriously their only vegan option was witlof leaves with dressing) it too a lot of going back and forth with the waiter to get something for me to eat (ended up being the risotto with no cheese). Although the food is not that expensive at the Ivy (well not what I would expect I was thinking 30 pound mains but they're all about 15) I was really disappointed to have to go through the same routine of trying my hardest to find something to eat. I would have thought the amount of anorexic 'skinny bitch' celebrities that go there would have made it a better place for a vegan. Anyway I wont harp on, the service is flawless and my date was as charming as usual. Just shows me that sticking to vegetarian restaurants is the best for me.

6 St Chads Place

Think Thousand Pound Bend but with a Collins Quarter after work crowd. In a great area and would be a nice place to nip into if you were waiting for someone.