Recently we had lunch at Union Kiosk in Howey Place off Little Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD. I left my wallet there and when I returned to pick it up, I found myself fascinated by so much street art in the small Presgrave Place off Howey Place. (Although Melbourne CBD is a straightforward grid, there is a network of lanes among this that are a little more complex.) As you can see above, it is like a street art gallery with lots of small framed artworks and brief words of wisdom and/or activism.
"Mt Douchmore: in Trump we trust"
Green rat
Dorothy: "There's no place like home" and smoking young woman.
Collage: two artworks of chic young woman; "how many humans does it take to change the globe"; and "you live your lives like I'm ...".
Mystery box challenge: Erin Patterson (mushroom murderer) cooking for immunity
Stickers: "it shouldn't have to happen to you to matter to you" and "embrace your weirdness".
Framed pictures and stickers featuring " earth: your only home"
"A lot of people just need someone to be kind to them today"
"Not your property" on the Girl with the Pearl Earring's face mask
Nutella jar and "be more fairy wren: life is full of fleeting moments - there one minute, gone the next"
"All cats are antifa"
"Your productivity does not determine your value" and "There are no ethical billionaires"
"Silence is complicity", "it's the people that aren't bothered by this that bothers me", "I'd rather be fat than a fascist", "No one is illegal on stolen land", "Laws aren't real"
@jaidynpoetry
Artworks in sardine tins
"Show me your digital I.D. Show me your I.D. painting. Just say no: don't be a digital I.D.iot."
"Peacemakers"
"Now"; "@tweet_streetart", "Artistic pride"
"How are you affecting the world?" etc
Bird above a face
"There's a tale to this city"
"Game over" and "You always inspired me turd burd!!! Fly free Habib, go crap on something". I assume this refers to the arrest of the Pam the Bird artist.
Spoons in a tin.
Angel and a black cat. "There are stories everywhere: you just need to learn how to find them @jaidynpoetry"
Crouching young boy
More artworks! There were so many.
The Love Cats?
More CBD street art posts on Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:
On the weekend I had one of the wonderful summer moments when I joined my family to celebrate my mum's birthday at a restaurant called At the Heads in Barwon Heads. It literally was on stilts over the sea. I had such a nice time I wanted to share some photos. However when I got home, I found I had very little photos of the food. So I will have to make up for that with photos of the beach.
Barwon Heads, where the Barwon River meets the Bass Strait, is best known for being the town where the Aussie television series SeaChangewas filmed 25 years ago. At the Heads blue weatherboard shed was the exterior for Diver Dan's boatshed cafe. I think I might have gone there years ago but maybe I just went past it. Driving over the iconic wooden bridge, I could have seen At the Heads if I had not been too busy checking the GPS as I know I was already running late.
Barwon Heads was busy on that beautiful summer's day. By the time I arrived at the restaurant late, I was met with sympathy and we all exchanged our stories of the difficulties in finding a parking spot and how far we had to walk. It was worth the effort to walk into the gorgeous restaurant with high rafters, wooden tables and chairs and plenty of space. Most impressive are the views of the sea through the huge glass windows that surround the diners.
Once I had taken in the view, I discovered that our group was big enough that there was a table for nephews and nieces with their partners and a table for my parents and siblings and aunt. I was out of my seat catching up with everyone when the starters came out. Everyone shared plates of octopus; prosciutto with cheese and sourdough bread; and croquettes. I arrived back at my seat in time to grab a potato, corn, miso, cheese and chives croquette with a creamy sauce. It was really crispy and delicious but my attention was on more catching up.
Then the mains arrived. I had ordered the one vegetarian main, which also seemed to gluten free and vegan. I took a hurried photo of the menu but it was too blurred to read and it was not updated on the website. The sprouting cauliflower was the feature with roasted parsnip, served on a bed of freekah, creamy sauce and salsa verde, topped with thin discs of apple and what I think were parsnip crisps. Everything was cooked beautifully, the flavours were superb and it was an absolute joy.
Many in my family had the fish and chips which was huge and filling. Susie had the grilled gluten free fish and chips. Andy had the prawn linguine. Dave was late and his fish and chips were ordered before he arrived. Fran enjoyed her meal and mocktail but mentioned that it was a shame that the mains had no vegetables or salad. Side dishes had to be ordered separately. This is not a cheap place to eat. My main cost $38 and was one of the cheaper mains. But at least I felt good about all the vegies in my dish. I would have also liked to have tried the tomatoes with sesame cream and nori or the broccoli with miso and saltbush.
At my mum's end of the table was a bottle of champagne. Not all of the family were able to be there. My sister in Dublin had thoughtfully arranged for the restaurant to surprise mum with the bottle when she arrived.
My meal wasn't too filling so I had a hot chocolate afterwards. The service was great and the most memorable moment was the waiter impressing us with memorising the 8 or 9 different drinks: the skinny latte, the soy latte, the regular latte, the cappucino, the flat white and on and on. My hot chocolate wasn't hot enough for my liking but it was wonderfully rich with lots of cocoa flavour.
I checked back on my blog and found that my last mention of Barwon Heads was April 2012 (in the same month that I went to Monsalvat which I also visited last weekend!). I have fond memories of fun with the family on the beach building sandcastles and swimming by the 1927 timber bridge across the estuary of the Barwon River. Over almost 100 years the bridge has seen many changes including consultations and protests in the decade after SeaChange when the state government considered a new bridge, mirroring some of the storylines of the tv show that revolved around closing the bridge. I am glad they upgraded the bridge and were able to maintain the historical integrity and spectacle.
It was such a lovely time at the restaurant that we were all a little reluctant to leave the blue skies and blue waters of the seaside town. I had time to take photos as I took off my sandals and paddled through thw water's edge on the way back to the car. Blogging works so much better when I am not socialising and can focus on photos. Hence there are more photos of then food. But food is only ever part of the story. Although I don't have too much to say about the meal, I would definitely be back for more, even without the magnificent surroundings..
We had a lot of leftover roast potatoes after Christmas. They are always excellent when reheated as a side dish but are also halfway to lots more great meals. In the Twixmas days between Christmas and New Years Day, leftovers are great when energy is low as the life morphs from crazy to lazy. I had just about enough energy on one of these days to put together a roast potato salad with whatever was in the kitchen. It was so good it is worth sharing!
One of the joys of Christmas are the crisp golden roast potatoes on the plate of a festive roast dinner. We always have heaps and there are often leftovers. Potatoes are so versatile because they can be enjoyed so many ways but there are times their texture is not always so soft and pillowy - one is when it is cooked, frozen and thawed, and another is when they are chilled after roasting. A cold roast potato can be sad but is also easily resurrected by returning to the oven or, in many kitchens these days, the airfryer.
This was my first time air frying leftover roast potatoes and I was delighted with the result. While they were heating, I burrowed about the fridge for bits of pieces that were in the fridge after Christmas - celery, pecans, dried cranberries and some pickled red onion. I also heated some peas from the freezer because I love peas and they are always so good with a roast dinner.
I wanted a creamy salad which is easier to start with a mayonnaise but tastes better when mixed with some yoghurt, mustard and lemon juice.
By the time I made the salad there were not many Christmas dinner leftovers in the fridge.
If I had had any nut roast left I would have chopped up some to add. I
would love to have chopped up some of the lovely spiced roasted carrots
or pigs in blankets that Sylvia made or even, if we were in the Northern
Hemisphere, I would add some seasonal brussels sprouts.
I have written out a recipe below based on what I did but it is not a recipe that will adapt to your kitchen. You could use whatever is about. It is the sort of salad you can whip up quickly and then return to reading your book in a peaceful house. Leftovers are great in salads. They are such a wonderful way to get through Twixmas in an Aussie summer without needing much energy at all.
More recipes to use up leftover roast potatoes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Festive Roast Potato Salad An original recipe by Green Gourmet Giraffe Serves 2 as a lunch
Roast potatoes (about 16 pieces or from 4 medium potatoes) 2 chunks roast pumpkins diced (optional) 1/2 to 1 cup peas, cooked 1-2 stalks of celery, finely chopped 1-2 tbsp pickled red onions, sliced 1-2 tbsp pecans, chopped 1-2 tbsp dried cranberries 1 tsp capers handful rocket
Dressing:
2-4 tbsp yoghurt 1-2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp mayo 1 tsp seeded mustard seasoning
If you are using leftover roast potatoes, first heat them either in the oven or airfryer until hot and crisp - about 15-20 minutes on a medium high heat. (Include any leftover roast pumpkin in this reheating if you are using it.)
Make the dressing by stirring the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste.
Place salad ingredients, except the rocket, in a medium to large bowl. Pour in dressing and mix together until everything is well coated. Add rocket and toss a couple of times. Serve while potatoes are warm.
On the stereo: The Milk-Eyed Mender: Joanna Newsome
Is there anything more glorious than an outdoor pool on a summer day once the festivities are behind us! December brought many joys with a swim at the local pool, festive markets and lights, the effusive farewells after catching up with friends for the last time before Christmas, helping clean the history society's Bluestone Cottage before it was closed til the start of February, summer, reading a P D James novel, a Christmas Day that was cool enough for me to wear an reindeer sweater. I have written posts on Christmas eating and outings but today am just catching up on some of the less festive outings that reminded us that life goes on beyond Christmas.
To read more about my Christmas, check out these posts:
Lucky Little Dumplings (Coburg) and Wicked: for good
After an appointment for Sylvia, we went to Lucky Little Dumplings (T101/1 Champ St, Pentridge) for our favourite dishes: fried rice, pan fried vegetable buns, edamame and crispy eggplant bites in sweet and sour chilli sauce. Once full of delicious food, we went next door to the Pentridge Palace Cinemas to see Wicked: for good (part 2). It was very enjoyable with lots of beautiful views and plot twists but not quite as amazing as the part 1 Wicked movie.
Tylers Milkbar, Preston (So fresh and so green)
We had a lunch at Tylers Milkbar (656 Plenty Road, near the corner of Tyler Road). My lunch was a variation on an open sandwich. Named "So fresh and so green", it was a splendid green vision described as a "whipped cream
cheese, asparagus, smoked almond dukkah, radish, spinach topped upon an
English muffin - dressed with our magical green sauce". I also had a couple of slabs of their wonderful tofu bacon on the side. A lovely addition to their summer menu.
Tylers Milkbar, Preston (salad sandwich)
While at Tylers, Sylviahad the Sally's Right Ham Sanga. She swapped the ham for tofu bacon to add to the fillings of kraut, herb butter, dijon mustard, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and cheese. She told me it was a good basic salad sandwich but better!
Coburg Night Market
We love going to the Coburg Night Market every year. It is great for Christmas shopping but also a great place for food trucks and the ambience of community gathering on a summer evening. You can read more about it at this post on the Coburg Night Market 2025.
Childhood memories
I saw this vinyl copy of Patsy Biscoe's 50 nursery rhymes in Zikkies Community Store in Coburg and had to resist buying it for sentimental purposes. We had that album when I was a kid and loved it so much. I still remember loving hearing the clip clop of the horse and Patsy's serenely talking to us about seeing the milkman's horse before singing about it at a time when such delivery horses were clearly remembered by my parents' generation. I used to have a copy of the album, that probably was the one from my childhood, but it got so tattered that it went put out some years ago. There is so much temptation and nostalgia in an op shop.
Pet store kittens
While buying our Christmas tree, we dropped in at the pet store for some turkey treats for Shadow. It was the time of year for cute kittens to be on sale to those who I hope know that a kitten is not just for Christmas. Sylvia would have loved one in her stocking but, even though Shadow is enough for us, he unfortunately would not fit in a stocking.
Festival Art on Windows, Brunswick
I enjoyed checking out the Festive Art on Windows in Sydney Road. The above photo is of fun festive fruit on the window of La Manna Fresh fruit and veg shop. They remind me of Kevin the Carrot and friends in the Aldi Christmas commercials in the UK. You can see more photos at my post: Festive Art on Windows, Sydney Road Brunswick 2025
Mokum, Brunswick
I had a fantastic lunch at Mokum (359 Sydney Road), a Dutch cafe with swirling Van Gough inspired artwork and a Dutch proverb chalked on the wall that translated to English read "it's like angels pissing on your tongue". A tempeh sandwich had tempted me and I took along my friend Kerin for our last catch up before Christmas. I chose the "Weed Prtezel" ($19) from the Broodjes | In-Bread section of the menu. The waitress had to check if there was a pretzel roll left. I was very glad that it had. While I loved the wakame and hemp crusted tempeh with the satesaus, vegan mayo, crunchy slaw and roquette, the hero of the meal as the pretzel. It was wonderfully soft and chewy at the same time as great pretzels are. Kudos also to the satesaus (sate sauce) that give richness and flavour to the sandwich. I also paid $7 for a side salad which was the perfect accompaniment with lovely chopped vegies on lettuce leaves. And my ruby peach and camomile iced tea ($7) was pleasing and unusual. Kerin had a charcuterie board that looked attractive but was too much flesh for me.
Coburg Farmers Market
We went to Coburg Farmers Market just before Christmas and admired many more stalls such as this one by Cooking with Koji, which I had not seen before. It was beautifully displayed and although I avoided temptation, I hope to have opportunities in the future to buy from her.
Lunch in Geelong
After the market, we drove to Geelong to have lunch with my parents. My mum had bought some great salads from Pollo Patisserie in Packington Street: a pumpkin and couscous salad, a Persian rice salad with greens, and our favourite was a green salad of peas, broccolin and asparagus. I took down an amazing pumpkin sourdough loaf from the Inner West Swedish Baker at the Coburg Farmers Market. We also enjoyed mince pies made by my mum and cinnamon and cardamom buns from the Swedish baker. Sylvia went to check out a new Salvos op shop with my dad while I had a chat to my mum.
Hotel Lincoln, Carlton
On my last day in the office before my Christmas holidays I had a lovely lunch with a large group at the Hotel Lincoln (91 Cardigan Street, corner of Queensberry Street). It is a long time since I have been to that pub but was still stylish with an interesting menu. I had the Stracciatella, roasted beetroot, sweet potato crisps, walnuts and honey with toasted sourdough ($24). It was unsual and very good, albeit I wished there had been less creamy cheese and more toppings. At first sight it looked small but was very satisfying with the generous chunks of bread.
Yoway Frozen Yoghurt, Highpoint Shopping Centre
On 27 December, when I was not keen to go out ever again, Sylvia dragged me out to the horrors of finding a carpark at Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong. I was somewhat mollified when we found some great bargains in the sales and I finally got to replace my spare car key. We stopped for lunch followed by a visit to Yoway. All these frozen yoghurt places look alike but I was tempted because this one had a Dubai chocolate option for topping my yoghurt. I was most pleased with my chocolate yoghurt, dubai chocolate paste, oreo crumbs, strawberries, nutella, pistachio sauce and a wafer stick. It was the best self serve fro-yo I have ever had.
Brunswick Swimming Baths
The rest of the days of Twixmas were mercifully quiet and relaxing with reading, bike rides, tv and a swim at the . A photo of the inviting blue pool is at the top but I also took some photos of the faded artwork on the brick walls (above and below). I wish I had seen this mural when it was new. These days it has faded and is partly covered by trees but I always find it intriguing.
One of the biggest stories before Christmas was the tragedy of the Bondi shootings and the fallout. Otherwise it was mostly disappointing governments, fickle weather and round ups of the year. See more of the last on my Reflection on 2025 post. I dialed down my reading and listening to the news over December but here are a few choice articles:
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