Recently in Melbourne Category

There is a part of me that would love to run away and live in a plush hotel like Eloise as I'm all for king sized beds, dream duvets, elegant furnishings, deep, sunken baths, room service and movies on demand.

One of the things I enjoy most about cooking is that it can be all at once both ordered and precise yet at the same time fluid and creative. Hence, if you were to follow a given recipe correctly you can be quietly confident that in no time at all you'd have recreated something entirely delicious with little to no fuss.

I've often viewed life at times like one great big cookbook, unconsciously following the simple recipes handed down to me, taking on board what resonates and throwing out all the stuff that doesn't. I follow my instinct, make decisions on the run, dodge a curve ball, fall down, get back up, but all along I continue to mix, blend, stir, fold and whisk.

With a trustworthy recipe to depend upon, you then gather your ingredients, follow the method and more often than not, you end up with a picture perfect version of what you see reflected in your trusted cookbook. Hence, there is a part of me that greatly appreciates clear instructions and precise methodology.

It's been a hilariously stressful weekend here in Melbourne. We've had freakish hailstorms and flash flooding that resulted in us having to spend the better part of the weekend mopping up the mess as our gutters couldn't keep up with the great amount of rain in such a short space of time.

Needless to say, our backyard was ravaged by humongous hails stones the size of golf balls, but thankfully I was able to salvage some of our treasured tomatoes.

To make matters worse, Stephen fell off the ladder yesterday mid repair and broke his foot, so we spent the better part of our Sunday afternoon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital's emergency department!

The upside to all our drama is that we are now waterproof, so if the heavens decide to open up on us again we can rest assured knowing that we are now safely ensconced in a warm, dry house once again.

My sister and I recently spent a lazy Sunday afternoon in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It was lovely to catch up and chill and have a decent, uninterrupted conversation minus our children! Oh and to drink wine mid-afternoon, how so very non-maternal and decadent is that?

Anyhow after hitting our usual haunts - Kleins Perfumery, Brunswick Street Bookstore, Flowers Vasette and Il Papiro we finally ended up at Mario's for coffee and cake. My sister insisted that I try some of the meringue, nut, and fruit torte thingy that she was having. Upon tasting the torte I then insisted that I needed just one more mouthful so to confirm that it was in fact *amazing*!

It was so incredible that I shamelessly hailed down the nearest unsuspecting waitress and enquired as to whether or not 'there were any eggs in the mix'? She stared back at me blankly, unaware of my surreptitious attempt to garner a list of ingredients so that I could replicate this little beauty at home at a later date.

 

There are a lot of ugly reviews about Pizza Meine Liebe, but our experience has always been good and I suppose that is why we keep going back.

For starters it's child-friendly, which is always a bonus considering we have two young children. Hence, upon arrival both children are offered a piece of pizza dough to play with instead of the usual broken crayola crayons and tattered old colouring books.

I get a lot of inquires about Cooking Schools in Melbourne. The list below is by no means exhaustive. If you know of a cooking school in Melbourne that should be added to this list, please contact me and I will add it to the list below.

Al Dente Cooking

Beverley Sutherland Smith Cooking School

Cookes Food - Cooking Classes

Cooking the Italian Way

De Bortoli 'On the Vine' Cooking School

Diana Marsland Cooking

Enoteca Sileno Cooking School

Fare Italian Cooking School

Little Kitchen - Cooking Classes for Kids  

Luscious Affair Cooking School

Meera Freeman Cooking Classes

Pomodoro Italian Cooking School

Queen Victoria Market Cooking School

Relish Mama

Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School

The Essential Ingredient Cooking School  

The Kitchen Table

Tony Tan's Cooking Classes

Toufics Garden - Cooking Class & Lunch

William Angliss Short Courses 

I have been taking Mr Fussy to the Koko Black salon in the historic Royal Arcade in Melbourne for years now. So whenever I suggest to Fussy that it's time for some one-on-one time with Mama he usual asks if we can catch a tram into the city and go have afternoon tea at Koko Black. We have tried the Carlton and also Collins Street Salons and although they are deliciously quaint and offer the same menu, we still both prefer the Royal Arcade Salon.

The word 'Levant' historically refers to that handful of countries (Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and parts of Turkey) that are situated to the East of the Mediterranean. And so 'Levantine Cuisine' refers to the culinary delights that emanate from this geographical region. I have always favoured food from the Mediterranean, but of late have come to embrace all things Levantine. It was only after doing a bit of research into the etymology of the word that I came to realise just how far my taste buds had roamed.

Thankfully, Melbourne is having a Levantine renaissance of sorts and in recent years we have seen some wonderful restaurants opening their doors that would fall into the Eastern Mediterranean genre. One of my favourite places at the moment and an absolute stand out in the crowd would have to be Shane Delia's Maha.

Sunday is a day of rest, but one is still able to window shop, or better still go to an open air cinema and be entertained under the summer stars. If you are fortunate enough to live in Melbourne why not pack yourself a gourmet picnic basket for dinner and grab a bottle of your best champagne and head over to the Roof Top Cinema on top of Curtain House on 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne.



If you prefer the sea breeze on a warm summers evening then why not head over to the St Kilda Open Air Cinema which is located on the roof top of the iconic Sea Baths on 10-18 Jacka Boulevard, St.Kilda. Hence, a 'fully-licensed bar and affordable festival food complete the summer sunset vibe'. Both venues offer an eclectic program ranging from retro classics, summer hits and the best that European cinema has to offer.

I don't know about you but I can't face the world, breakfast, school lunch boxes, my bulging inbox, Twitter, Facebook or my children for that matter before my morning coffee. Call it ritual, habit, addiction or basic primal need - my brain just does not work before coffee.

Some people find that they can't function before their early morning yoga session, ten minute shower or five mile run around the river. Hence, for me it's all about the coffee. That first morning caffé latte is both life giving and vital, for it is like an internal shower that flushes away all of life's impurities and some how magically assists in aligning the planets! Everything just 'sounds better, looks brighter and tastes better'... after that first coffee.

Photo - Enzo Maisano (2008).






























Now when I say 'coffee' I am not talking about any old coffee I am talking about Genovese coffee which is made right here in Melbourne. Over the years Genovese has endeavored to 'provide the Australian market with a true Italian espresso coffee experience'.  And so the company prides itself in being a 'third generation family owned company' and is passionate about the traditions that have been handed down to them. Their 'product is roasted and blended using artisan techniques and state of the art equipment, and as such the Genovese Espresso Coffee experience is second to none'.

I have tried many brands of coffee over the years and have drunk coffee in four of the seven major continents. I have also been fortunate enough to have experienced having my caffeine needs fulfilled at the coffee Mecca itself - Roma! Although it was quite a buzz to stand in a bar in the heart of Rome, surrounded by stylish Romans drinking their morning cappuccino or afternoon espresso I was sadly underwhelmed by the coffee itself. Don't get me wrong - Rome was, is and ever will be breathtaking and without flaw, but when it comes to coffee - Genovese to me is - 'the world's greatest coffee'.

Photos - Enzo Maisano (2008).


Well that's my humble opinion with regard to coffee - the comments box is all yours! Oh and thank you Enzo for doing the coffee justice.