Recently in Melbourne Category

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.

I come from a long line of women who understand the meaning of the 'sweeter' things in life.  To expand on that familial trait I should in fact say that I come from a long line of sensible women who appreciate the need and importance of cake! We not only like to have our cake and eat it, but have also perfected the art of coffee and cake. For me that could be an early morning café au lait and warm brioche at Filous'. Or mid morning rendezvous at Sugardough Panificio & Patisserie for a cappuccino and bomboloni. And if the need arises mid afternoon it's off to Sweet Source for an espresso and slice of Linzer torte.



I love my cake and coffee and this practice has now become one of the food 'rituals' I share with Miss Hoover and Mr Fussy. I have consciously passed on this custom to my children, thus from an early age I have dragged them to café's all over town to do 'cake and coffee'.  Mr Man has glibly suggested that maybe this has more to do with my need to gather allies as opposed to passing on tradition. Whatever the reason today marks the beginning of six weeks of school holidays in Melbourne and I suspect there will be a fair amount of café hopping for me and my fellow collaborators.

Today we thought we would try something completely different and take the children to the Vegie Bar in Fitzroy for lunch. Mr Fussy is familiar with the concept of vegetarianism as both his aunt and uncle are non meat eaters. Little Miss Hoover on the other hand was struggling slightly with the concept as she is a natural born carnivore. So before we set out the door we gave both the children the condensed version as to 'why' some people choose not to eat meat and allayed their collective fears that they would not starve, as we would find something appropriate for them to eat from this funky, hip bar.

For those of you unfamiliar with this Melbourne icon the Veggie Bar began sixteen years ago as take way food shop and has since expanded to a restaurant that now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Veggie Bar started as an 'ideal' and has since grown in many ways and is quite active in its local community. The Vegie Bar aims to 'give back to local non profit organizations, schools, and neighbourhood groups, especially those that promote health and wellness and support our children'.

So with that all that in mind we set off for our lazy Saturday lunch. As parents we think it's important to challenge our kids in a non threatening manner (well most of the time) to try new things. I must say that our girl aka Hoover is amazing and often chooses to blindly shove things into her mouth and ask questions later. Mr Fussy on the other hand can be extremely painful when encountering new things and food is no exception. While his sister could find herself hoeing into a bowl of lemon and red lentil soup, Mr Fussy will be sniffing his iced water to make sure we have not hidden anything in it.

On this occasion we were greeted by a friendly waitress who was quite welcoming towards the children (always a good sign) and handed us all a menu despite our girl being illiterate as she is three years old. Our son breathed out a huge sigh of relief (he can read) when he saw that pizza and chips were on the menu. I then found myself exhaling slowly and thinking that this culinary excursion was proving to be a positive step towards the children's wider education.

Hence, when the waitress came back to take our orders I was completely thrown when Mr Fussy asked for Parma and chips. For those of you unfamiliar with the colloquial term 'Parma' - I am afraid my son was not referring to Parma ham from Parma, Italy. No he was referring to his standard, fool proof, default order that he has been ordering ever since he could order off a menu - chicken schnitzel covered in napoli sauce, smothered in over processed mozzarella cheese which is then grilled to perfection - standard Australian pub fare! Upon hearing this, little Miss Hoover followed suit and insisted that she would have the fish and chips option which is her default meal when dining out!