Green Gourmet Giraffe

Thursday, 10 July 2025

My Monthly Chronicles: June 2025

We had an unsettled June that saw us packing up the house for painting, living out of home for a week and then moving back in. There was less tv watching and bike riding but lots of boxes and eating out and cleaning. Lots of work lunches purchased on the way in. In fact, we got out and about more than usual, not always by choice but because our home was less than its usual welcoming cosiness. And many crazy politics at home and abroad. You can see more about my month in my In My Kitchen June 2025 post.

I start with a photo of the fascinating Fyansford Paper Mills historic precinct. See below for more information. It cheers me up to to see the bright flowers and plants on a sunny day in a winter month that had many grey rainy days.

Tiamo, Carlton

I saw the Salt Path at the Cinema Nova with my friend Heather. The gorgeous views of the coastal walking path were often so vast that the lives of the down-on-their-luck couple seemed part of a much bigger world than their problems. Afterwards, we had dinner at TiAmo (303 Lygon St). Heather had canneloni and I had an Eggplant parmigiana with seasonal vegetables. It was not the slab of eggplant under a blanket of crisp and gooey cheese but rather a few layers of eggplant with mozzarella cheese between the layers and lots of tomato sauce. The eggplant was perfectly cooked but less of a dairy feast than usual. I loved it.

Back Alley Bakes, Coburg North

After not being the cinema for a while, I went twice in two days. The second film I saw was the stylish Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme at the Pentridge Palace cinema. We took home lunch from Lucky Little Dumplings and IGA to eat with bread from Back Alley Bakes (10 Leslie Avenue). I rode there a couple of times in June when a nice loaf of bread helped ease the busy period that left little time for cooking. Their specials change regularly but Sylvia put in a request for the sweet and sour onions, zucchini and feta focaccia, if it is available again.

Wild Timor, Coburg

At one of my regular visits to Wild Timor Cafe (282 Sydney Road), I could not resist the Katsu Curry that was on the specials menu. It was served with crispy potato and eggplant croquettes, mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, seaweed, fried shallots and coriander. It was excellent. It should be permanently on the menu.

Preston Market

Sylvia went to a school excursion on the op shop trail in Preston. I went along as a parent helper and the kids had lots of fun. We stopped at the Preston Market for lunch. Sylvia had heard great stuff about the boreks there. She had a spicy potato borek and I had a vegan kale and leek borek from Ishtars. Mine was so good. But then we heard that it is Tammy's that does the great boreks. Now I want to return to Ishtars and also try Tammys. We also check out Publique Bakery's small store where they started. It was hard to resist so we bought a sesame bread stick and a salted caramel doughnut for later. They were amazing!

Jackson Dodds, Preston

We stopped in at Jackson Dodds (611 Gilbert Rd) for a good lunch under the vines and little hot air balloons that hand from the rafters. Sylvia was excited at the opportunity to try the Gnocchi with vodka tomato sauce and Stracciatella cheese that was on the specials menu. I had the Avo Smash: smashed avocado mixed with Meredith goats feta on sourdough, feta cream, basil pesto, pomegranate, cherry tomatoes & toasted-sourdough with an optional haloumi. (I opted to have it without the poached eggs.) Our meals were excellent. We washed them down with Strawberry iced matcha and Sparkling strawberry and lemon refresher. I enjoyed the strawberry version of the iced tea better than the peach one I've had before.

Home share accommodation, Coburg

While the painters were in the house, we moved out for a week. I spent a few days in Melbourne while I went to work and then had the rest of the time at my parents in Geelong. This is my temporary bedroom in a house nearby to where Sylvia was staying with her dad and our very anxious cat. I had a shared kitchen but I mostly relied on a jar of peanut butter, tins of baked beans and a loaf of bread. I had a couple of meals with Sylvia and her dad: Melbourne Kebab Station pide one night and baked potatoes another night.

Poked, CBD

While in temporary digs in Melbourne during the painting, I treated myself to some nice lunches while at work. Poked (Shop 10/50 Lonsdale St) sells fast food with lots of vegies. I chose the Tofu Tafa Hawaiian Plate Lunch with soft silken tofu fried in a light tempura with mac & sweet potato salad, rice, salad, pickled cabbage and wonton chips ($19.95). It was an excellent plate of lunch with enough warmth for winter. Also in the photo is a new water bottle I bought on the way to work after realising I did not know where my regular green water bottle was. If only it was smaller and could fit in my bike bottle holder!

Tylers Milkbar, Preston I

I missed sharing my home with Sylvia so on a chilly day when I was not working, I took her for lunch at Tylers Milkbar (656 Plenty Rd). One of the specials was Stovetop Hot Chocolate: a vegan chai infused jaffa hot chocolate. (The menu also had nuts included in the dietary information.) It was one of the best hot chocolates I have ever had. Velvety, chocolatey without lots of creaminess and just enough yummy spicy citrus flavour.

Tylers Milkbar Preston II

On this visit it was toastie weather. Sylvia had the wonderfully titled "There's a leek in my toastie" ($18) that was filled with stracciatella, sauteed garlic & leek, Swiss cheese, house pickles & dill plus some tofu bacon instead of the ham. I wanted to try the winter pot luck special of the day: Corn and Potato Chowder with a cheese toastie. She loved it so much she had it a few weeks afterwards. I enjoyed my chowder but I think of them as being creamy and this one was chunky but not creamy.

Miscellaneous eating in Geelong

It was great to have a few days with my parents in Geelong. My mum did her usual impressive cooking and bought some good stuff too. Clockwise from top left in the above photos: A delicious meal of falafel, grain salads and roast potatoes; Ket Baker's iced lemon sourdough pastry, the bathroom; and my muesli among the chookies. Another great meal was a lentil and veg stew that was served with home made sourdough bread. I also got to see the lovely new home my niece and her boyfriend bought a while back.

Pudding in Geelong

My mum is also a whizz at whipping up dessert. Sylvia was very jealous of the desserts I was having while she stayed in Melbourne. On one night my mum made a Steamed spiced microwave pudding with caramel sauce from Better Homes and Gardens. It was delicious and warming. The caramel sauce was made of caramel syrup and butter on the stovetop. We were glad we took it off the heat as soon as it clung to the spoon because it thickened up as it cooled a bit. Watching my mum pour it over the pudding was an impressive sight!

Bakers Delight scones

I had a day back in Melbourne during the days when I was in Geelong. As always it felt like I had so much time to spend some time visiting galleries and cafes but I was tired. In fact I was pretty slow and only had time to grab a cheeseymite scroll and try a new Iced raspberry and peach scone from Bakers Delight. I really loved this fruit combo in the scone but was not a huge fan of the sweet creamy icing.

Lyndhurst Hall, Pascoe Vale

I was drove from Geelong for a day in Melbourne because there was a history tour and a party I wanted to attend. The tour of Lyndhurst Hall was really special. It is one of the oldest houses in the area. It is impressive that it is is a portable pre-fabricated house that was originally erected in Brunswick in the 1850s and the moved to its current location in the 1860s. The current owners have done a beautiful restoration: a grand design! They gave a talk on the history and invited Coburg History Society members to visit the house. We were shown around and treated to tea and scones for afternoon tea.

I also went to a friend's solstice party. It was lovely sitting outside by the fire in Jo's new brasier, drinking mulled wine, eating potato wedges, spring rolls and a fabulous vegan carrot cake with chocolate frosting. and chatting with familiar and not so familiar people.

Luthers Scoops, Brunswick

In between the house tour and the party I visited Sylvia and took her out to share a Blueberry buttermilk custard pie with buttered popcorn ice cream. This is a special winter treat. It was a great way to get Sylvia out of the house on a wintery day when she was missing her own home.

The Door Gallery Cafe, Geelong

I also had time in Geelong to take it easy. On one afternoon I went to the Door Gallery Cafe at the Fyansford Paper Mill (100 Lower Paper Mills Rd) for a hot chocolate and some live music. It was such a cold day when I got up that morning it was 0 degrees celcius. Even though my drink was a bit too milky for my liking, it was lovely to sit sipping the warm drink and listening to the old timers sing the golden oldie hits. And yes there were doors. My parents remember there being a lot more doors previously when they used to go when my brother played there.

Fyansford Paper Mill, Geelong

It is fascinating to wander around the Fyansford Paper Mill historic precinct. The vast buildings evoke a nostalgia for an industrial past filled with a loud and bustling workforce that made paper out of rags in the 1870s. The rust on the tin roofs are signs of buildings that have fallen into disrepair but the bluestone walls look sturdy enough to escape the ravages of time. The top photo is of plants outside some of the artist studios. Then there are the esoteric pieces of the past the dot the landscape. Above is a photo of the inner workings of an old petrol pump.

Poked, CBD II

When we moved out of the house for painting, I had visions of life snapping back to normal when we moved in but that was fanciful. It took some days to get out kitchen and bathroom functioning and even now we still have boxes around the house. So when we got back in the house, it was difficult to have meals from home for work lunches. I returned to Poked (Shop 10/50 Lonsdale St) for another vegtable filled meal. The Veggie Vibes bowl was filled with sweet potato, marinated mushrooms, pickled cabbage, edamame, cubes of firm tofu and wanton crisps on a bed of brown rice and drizzled with sesame mayo ($13.95). The tofu was a substitute because eggplant was not available.

Super 8, Parkville

Poked bowls were fantastic but my favourite work meal of the month was this bowl of three salads from Super 8 at the Peter Mac Cancer Centre (cnr Grattan Place and Royal Parade). It was the perfect combination of salads: (1) Falafel Salad with blanched green beans, roasted chat potatoes, roasted red onion, cherry tomatoes radicchio, snow pea sprouts, snow pea tendrils, parsley, chives, chervil, yoghurt, lemon, (2) Roquette and Pear Salad with shaved fennel, walnuts, Danish feta, shaved parmesan, pomegranate, radicchio, olive oil, balsamic glaze. (3) Chickpea and Herb Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted pumpkin, cranberries, radicchio, watercress, chives, parsley, dill, chervil. I loved them so much that I want to try making the falafel salad at home one day soon.

Galleria Crocodillo, Preston

These pictures are from Alex Barrington's exhibition called Art is life but you can't eat it at Galleria Crocodillo (738 Plenty Road). Such fun images: a dress of baked goods, an island of cakes and the croissant as the rising sun. You can also see some of the cards that we bought in my In My Kitchen June 2025 post.

In the News:

The June news has been intense. I don't even have light hearted stories to share! More disturbing stories from the USA including ICE disappearing immigrants, foreign students blocked from Harvard, riots in LA and the 12 days war between Israel, USA and Iran. It felt like World War 3 was narrowly averted.

Australian politics is more stable but there is still much to make us question our world as exposed by the legal system. Erin Patterson on trial for killing in laws with death cap mushrooms; the Victorian Liberal party in toxic breakdown over the successful libel lawsuit against John Pesutto MP, and our national broadcaster, the ABC, found guilty of illegally sacking journalist Antoinette Latouf over Gaza politics.

Here are some current affairs stories that caught my eye:

As the planet warms and liberal democracy is attacked, does our government care?, in ABC News, 8 June 2025.

Victoria is in the grip of drought but what is different about this one? (mental health of farmers), in ABC News on 9 June 2025.

This is the column I never wanted to have to write (on the state of falling tv revenue as advertisers move to social media for sophisticated data harvesting), by Waleed Aly in The Age, 13 June 2025.

Would you like ICE with your fascism? by Jo Dwyer in The Shot, 14 June 2025.

Victoria's Liberals saved John Pesutto from bankruptcy. But can they save themselves from all-out war? in The Guardian, on 21 June 2025.

Bombing Iran a clear breach of international law, by Greg Barns in Pearls and Irritations, 23 June 2025.

Antoinette Latouf sacking exposed the power of lobbying on the media, in ABC News, 29 June 2025.

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

In My Kitchen: June 2025 (and the upheaval of painting the house)

June has been an unsettling and exhausting month with getting the house painted. We had easy familiar meals: baked potatoes, vegan omelettes, sushi salad, tomato orzo and the occasionally peanut butter sandwich. We also ate out a bit more than usual and had more takeaway meals in our kitchen.

Our energy was directed into packing up and moving back in. I will write more about the painting later but here is a taste of the chaos. I will also soon write up My Monthly Chronicles with all the eating out we did instead of eating at home.

The above sandwich of warm leftover okonomiyaki topped with cheese, tomato, and lettuce was an excellent quick meal.

We went to see Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme at the Pentridge Palace cinema. The design in te film was a sight to behold with lots of whimsy and humour. It made the film wonderfully entertaining despite the slight and confusing plot. Afterwards, we bought our favourite sweet and sour eggplant at Lucky Little Dumplings and comforting spinach and cheese pasties and the best pesto arancini for the freezer. At home I had a loaf of oatmeal bread from Bake Alley Bakes that was purchased with an amazing rhubarb danish and a decadent peanut butter cookie.

I had this fantastic eggplant and seaweed salad sandwich with furikake, rocket and kewpie mayo for lunch with the lovely Bake Alley Bakes bread and Lucky Little Dumplings eggplant.

We didn't try many new recipes but found a new favourite: this simple marinated cucumber salad. It was excellent on this plate of rice vegan omelette, and leftover sweet and sour eggplant. The salad was so good that we have made it a few times since and I will post about it soon.

Another trip to Bake Alley Bakes found me coming home with a Sourdough high top loaf, a tahini and chocolate scroll and a s'mores bear claw. I loved my scroll more than Sylvia liked her bear claw. She was not so into the dark chocolate as she is more a milk chocolate kind of gal and not a huge marshmallow fan. It just looked so amazing I could not resist it. And of course the pastry was so good.

Sylvia made an old family favourite from my childhood: Chocolate pudding. This warm self saucing pudding is such great comfort food on a cold dark winter's night. This photo is from the next day after I put some pudding in the freezer for later.

Continuing on the childhood comfort food theme, I could not resist this Chokito muesli bar. It was a good quick snack for work when I was out of home. And they were delicious with great chocolate flavour and a pleasingly chewy flavour.

There were too many boxes this month. Shadow enjoyed the empty bookshelves, when he was not climbing over boxes.

This is a quick lunch while packing: cheese on toast with red capsicum, celery and cashews. It was very satisfying.

Another easy meal was baked potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, lettuce and tofu bacon. We had leftover tofu bacon and leftover baked potato when we had pizza the next night. I added baked beans to mine . It was so smoky and satisfying. I usually line my pizza trays with baking paper but had packed it so I had to use some used foil I found that had not yet been packed.

While packing, I found that the best place to get used boxes was the KFL supermarket in Coburg. As I was there taking away their used boxes, I also purchased a jar of their furkikake. Only one of this brand of furikake rice seasoning mixes is vegan (sesame seeds and seaweed). Sylvia loves it.

This photo of our newly painted kitchen shows why we haven't had too much cooking at home. It was pizza and doughnuts from Heaven on the first night back in! There were too many boxes, too few days with a kitchen table and no light for the latter part of the month. No light when it gets dark at 5pm makes the kitchen rather gloomy. Finally we got the long fluorescent globe in a precarious position to get it working and then it smashed to smithereens on the floor when it fell the next day. Fortunately no one was under it.

I have tried to be very sparing in buying new stuff while having to pack everything. Even so, my self control faltered when I saw these beautiful giraffes and a retro bread and butter plate in a Vinnies op shop. It wasn't great to have to add the to my suitcase but I love them both and am happy to bring them into our newly painted home.

While cleaning the house after the painting we had a takeaway lunch from Tylers Milkbar. I had a hearty Moroccan Harira Soup with chickpeas, lentils and brown rice in a warming spiced tomato broth with preserved lemon. It was good soup! Sylvia had There's a Leek in my Toastie with stracciatella, sauteed garlic & leek, Swiss cheese, house pickles & dill, plus tofu bacon instead of the ham. She also loved her generous slice of blueberry crumble cake. I tasted it and it was every bit as fantastic as she said over and over!

We were at Tylers because Sylvia is a fan of Alex Barrington's artwork. Alex co-owns Luthers Scoops and does the artwork for their posters. She also had a small exhibition called Art is life but you can't eat it at Galleria Crocodillo. We bought a few of her cards when we went to the exhibition near Tylers.

I love the fun worlds that Alex Barrington creates with food in her artwork. This is another of the cards we bought.

My parents and brother have been fantastic in helping me pack up furniture and boxes and return them to the house after the painters left. This is a lunch we had when bringing everything back into the house. I could not have done it without them and a family friend. My mum did some delicious baking and brought along a zucchini slice, Davidson plum cookies and a plum crumble cake. (The plum crumble cake was generously made by my mum as requested by Sylvia after her crumble cake from Tylers - it was so good!) Sylvia and E went off for superb focaccia, choc chip cookies and a chocolate scroll from the new Beit Sitti in Coburg. We are keen to go there soon to eat in.

I am sending this post to Sherry of Sherry's Pickings for the In My Kitchen event. If you would like to join in, send your post to Sherry by 13th of the month. Or just head over to her blog to visit more kitchens and her gorgeous hand drawn header. Thanks to Sherry for continuing to host this even that brings together some wonderful bloggers who share glimpses into their kitchens.