In My Kitchen: July 2026

July was a crazy cold month!  It was puffer jacket weather, especially when we were told that the heating at work was out of order until the end of winter.  The month started with school holidays and it just never returned to routine: Sylvia got sick, my bike had a flat tyre and there were lots of changes at work.  We had some good news with the work heating getting fixed earlier plus the pleasure of new armchair and some family history research.  Not much time or energy for new dinner recipes but lots of good food nevertheless.  I will soon write more about our outings in My Monthly Chronicles: July 2026.

Changes in technology drives me batty.  Too many websites are suddenly inaccessible without a login.  I usually just check my GoodReads books without logging in when I am at the shops so I know if I have read a book (I find it hard to keep up with what I have read in a series).  A few weeks ago in an op shop I found I could only see my books by logging in.  So I winged it and bought the book anyway and then got home and found I had read it!  Argh! On the same day I was not impressed to discover that Yahoo suddenly reduced the free emails cap from 1 terrabyte to 15 gigabytes.  It was painful but also liberating to reduce my yahoo emails from 17GB to 12GB.  Now I just need to keep them down and try and delete more photos off my phone!  It is neverending keeping up with technology.

My siblings have recently had quite a bit of travel between them.  My brother Dave was in China and brought us back a brilliant hot pot fridge magnet that you can see above with our foodie fridge magnets.

We didn't make many new meals this month but I enjoyed revisiting a few favourites.  Clockwise from top left:

• Our version of Minestrone is on our weekly meals a lot.  This one included parsnip and fennel
• Samosa pie - this is like an Indian style pot pie and tastes so good - why has it been so long since I made it!  (It had a lot of liquid so I added a spoonful of cornflour.)
• Meera Sodha's Vegan Broccoli, Fennel, Chickpea and Orzo Stew was one of the meals we made again after loving it the previous month.
• And Fried rice with tofu scramble - but a little different to usual with Sylvia making her tofu scramble separately so we could add it at the end of the fried rice instead of cooked in it.  One big advantage of this was the the turmeric only coloured the scramble so it contrasted with the pale rice.
   

I have posted about my Vegan roast dinner pizza using short cuts.  One of the shortcuts was making roast potatoes in the air fryer.  It only works with a small batch with our small air fryer.  I got tired of either wiping up a greasy air fryer tray or using paper inserts so I have purchased a silicone air fryer insert that be easily washed.  I first bought a nicer more expensive one but it did not fit so I gifted it to my mum who loves it.  Ours is cheaper and brighter and does the trick!
 

These frozen samosa pastizzi are a new favourite.  We buy thim in FOY next to the Coburg Woolworths at $11 for 12.  They take between 15-20 minutes in the air fryer at 220 C.  The crispy pastry and spicy vegeie filling are so delicious to pull apart.  It is a challenge to try and wait for the steaming heat to subside.  This is the only pastizzi there that are vegan.  While not that cheap, they are better value at 850g than the vegan samoa packet in the next door supermarket that is $12 for 500g.

A favourite from my childhood is is curried sausages.  I figured out how to do a tray bake of vegetarian baked curried sausages a while back and revisited the recipes when we needed warming food.  Sylvia is starting to really enjoy some curried meals so it was good to see her enjoy it.

I bookmarked a recipe for a one banana banana cake quite some time ago.  As I am now eating a few more of them I put one aside to get old and soft to try this banana bread.  It was a vegan banana bread with a crumble topping.  We loved it.  There is another old banana in the fridge right now so perhaps the universe is telling me I need to make this again!  Well, who dares to say no to the universe!

We are also having more sauerkraut in our kitchen on rice bowls and sandwiches.  The Gaga's gut loving Raw dill pickle kraut is a favourite.

While on Smith street to have lunch at Not so sushi,we had a wander down the street to browse some of the foode shops: Friends of the Earth, Soul Foods, Alimentari and Hinoki.  We mostly resisted temptation but at Hinoki we bought a couple of Daifuku (a strawberry and a green tea) and a packet of frozen edamame.  We use edamame quite a bit and needed some, but I think I was also swayed by the cute red checked packet.

 

I am a fan of these salt and vinegar sweet potato nibbles which are a pleasing light snack.  Sylvia enjoys them because they are vegan unlike a lot of flavoured crisps.  We just can't work out why a flavouring like lime and black pepper needs to have milk in the ingredients.  

We went to the Coburg Farmers Market because it was the last market appearance by the always amazing vegan Better Now Bakes before they open their new shop in Brunswick East.  As usual we were too tempted and came away with so much fantastic baking: the richest best tahini brownie, the piquant pickle chive and dill scone, a fluffy tasty Japanese curry focaccia (with potato, furikake and seaweed?), a pleasing yuzu white choc and coconut cake and a scrumptious and gorgeous apple maple and pecan cake.  We will miss them at the market but can't wait to visit their new shop which is set to open very soon.

We bought some beige food from KFL - soy chunks, potato curry puffs and vegan eggs - that made the vegan ham from the supermarket look colourful!  The curry puffs weren't anywhere near as good as the samosa pastizzi's above but Sylvia loved them.  She has also been enjoying vegan ham and cheese sandwiches.  There are some plans for the soy chunks but we have no idea how to pry apart the frozen vegan fried eggs.

Here are some vegan supermarket purchases: iced matcha latte with oat milk, hearty mushroom and lentil pies, vanilla rice puds, packaged tofu scramble, the tea collection of iced mochi (hojicha, genmaicha and matcha), and a frozen mango sticky rice with coconut milk.  We have had most of these - the pies were really good with a pre-chopped kale slaw pack, the scramble was nice enough in a taco bowl, Sylvia was excited about the sticky rice with mango and the mochi.  There is a wee box of panadol to signal there there was pain too but not enough to stop Sylvia eating good food.

When I asked my sister Fran to surprise me when she had me in my family KK gift giving I knew she would find something interesting.  With the cold weather we finally got to try the Ground Pleasures original hot chocolate powder that she gave us.  It was amazing.  I am pretty fussy with hot chocolate powder but this was so good that we finished it within weeks.  Sylvia gave it a dash of pizazz with her hand held milk frother and a sprinkle of hot chocolate powder on top.  It is not the cheapest and is not in supermarkets but we might need another box before the end of winter.

Life is chaotic and busy so it is wonderful when we can slow down and create collages.  This is one I made in the kitchen in July.  You can see the mess it makes in the background of the hot chocolate photo but even with the cleaning up, it is a relaxing activity.

 

It is a year since we had our house painting.  Two of the outstanding things to do over that time were to buy a new chair for the loungeroom and to find a green teacup for the glass kitchen cabinet.  In July we managed to achieve both.  We have looked at so many photos of chairs on FaceBook market place and found it really hard to find the right one.  This floral chair was not my ideal but it is close enough for jazz!

In June I bought a green teapot and tea cup set that I really love.  More recently Sylvia fell in love with another green teapot set, this time at the Salvos op shop where we bought our chair.  It has not been easy to fit both tea sets into the cabinet but Sylvia was determined and made it work.  I have compared the three iterations of our cabinet above.  In July 2025 I organised a fairly spacious cabinet after quite a few items were sent to the op shop.  The following month Sylvia reorganised with some of the op shop pieces she loved.  Then in July 2026 the cabinet is now full with lots of lovely green.

Finally here is a close up of the cabinet so you can admire some of the detail on the new green sugar bowl with a few sentimental items including a gnome salt and pepper shaker I bought as a child and a green decanter I bought when living in student share houses,

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 delightful seasonal hand drawn header.  Thanks to Sherry for continuing to host this event that brings together some wonderful bloggers who share glimpses into their kitchens.  

Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries Tour, Gin Palace and historic Melbourne buildings

 

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of joining a friend to take the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Tour in Melbourne.  It was a joy to walk through the south east of the city centre and hear about the filming of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mystery novels and gain an insight into the buildings involved.  Over three hours our tour leader, Kathy, shared wonderful stories about Melbourne's social and architectural history, especially as it related to the buildings we saw on our walk.

It is not my intention to share the stories here.  Those are Kathy's stories to tell on the tour and I did not take notes.  I am sharing my photos I took on the tour, an overview of the tour and my impressions of the places.  I have visited quite a few of the buildings on the tour at other times.  At the end of this post, I have listed links to where I have written more about my experiences with these buildings.

Our first stop was Cafe Excello (99 Spring Street) for light afternoon tea of lemon slice, brownie (or chai tea cake for the vegan) and hot drinks.  It was not a notably historic or memorable cafe but it was where Kathy gave us an introduction: housekeeping, an introduction to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (as the tv series is called) and the history of Melbourne.  I am quite familiar with both the tv show and history but learnt a more from Kathy.

I first heard about the Phryne Fisher books about 30 years ago when hearing the author Kerry Greenwood give a talk about her books to a history group.  Since then I have read quite a few of the books and seen the tv series.  I have always had respect for the historic research that is the foundation for the story about the dashing and wealthy Miss Fisher who solves murder mysteries in 1920's Melbourne with the support of her maid Dot and a couple of loveable working class communists called Cec and Bert, and the reluctant help of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson.  It is great fun but also insightful with social commentary about the time.

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom

The history of Melbourne in the roaring 1920s is an exuberant city of post war optimism with a dark underbelly (including the First Nations people displaced to make this city).  The magnificently ornate buildings were erected over the decades following the 1850's gold rush that converted John Batman's colonial village into a wealthy Victorian city.  It is a familiar story to me as a Melbourne history enthusiast but Kathy's stories had many details I did not know.

Kathy was a fantastic story teller with lots of colouful details and a keen eye for connections as she told the story of Melbourne.  For example she told a story about the decision about the city's wide streets being made to allow vehicles to turn easily, and that this in turn had made space for the creation of a tram system that exists to this day.  Often during the tour she would allude to one place having an association with another, but she would pause and promise to tell more about at another stop.

The Windsor Hotel reception and entrance

The first place we stopped was to have a quick peek into was the Windosr Hotel, one the grand 19th Century hotel.  I am very fond of this place, having stayed at the hotel when seeing a musical a few years back and had their famous high tea on a couple of occasions.  I enjoyed one amazing high tea in the gorgeous ballroom (pictured).  The above photo of the entrance reminds me of checking in to stay there.

The Windsor was one of the first places we looked at where the building history included plans to demolish it followed by being miraculously saved.  We had a fascinating discussion about Whelan the Wrecker who knocked down so many of the grand Victorian buildings of Melbourne.  

Kathy recommended watching a documentary about this called The Lost City of Melbourne.  If you are interested in seeing lots of rare footage about Melbourne's history with commentary about the changes in Melbourne that resulted in many extravagant buildings being lost as well as the stories of many who were saved, it well worth a watch.  (It is currently streaming on SBS On Demand in Australia).

Parliament House

The area at the top of the city has a wealth of heritage buildings including Parliament House, Tasma Terrace and Treasury building, all of which I have been lucky to visit previously (see links at the end of the post).  We stood outside Parliament House with the glow of the sun reflected on the autumn leaves.  Kathy told us stories about filming the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries at these buildings and used her ipad to showed clips of scenes from the tv series.  We saw a few more film clips during the tour.

The tour is an official tour of the show.  Kathy has spent a lot of time with the producers and others involved in making the tv series.  She told us stories about how they closed off streets to film, how the editors skillfully stitched together scenes from different locations and how Phryne's stunning 1920 wardrobe was created.  The insider stories of scenes I remembered were definitely a highlight of the tour.

Treasury Building

One scene we discussed was the Treasury Building masquerading as the University of Melbourne.  Both Parliament House and the Treasury Building have grand flights of steps that make for a popular location for wedding photos.  Above you can see a wedding party on the steps of Treasury.  While we stood talking about the building, it was fun spotting all the brides in big white dresses.

Entrance to the Melbourne Club

Another fun part of the stories were the private clubs of Melbourne  The best known is The Melbourne Club for gentlemen, which has a grand but discreet entrance.  There is just one tiny sign well up the other end of the building from the front door.  Of course, Phyrne belonged to one of the private ladies' clubs.

St Michael's Uniting Church

Not all stories were directly related to Phryne Fisher.  Some were about the general history of Melbourne that helped understand the 1920s Melbourne where her story was set.  We stopped at the corner of Russel and Exhibitions Streets so Kathy could talked to us about the buildings on the four corners.  

Scots Church Melbourne

On two of the corners are the St Michael's Church and Scots' Church.  It is fascinating to see the different architecture of the two churches.  I also liked the story of Nellie Melba's association with the Scots' Church.

The top photo is of the facade of the Neo-Gothic Assembly Hall building of Scots' Church where you can see the "Old and Rare Books" sign of Kay Craddock's Antiquarian Booksellers.  I love all the random amazing buildings in Melbourne that I pass regularly.  The tour was a great chance to stop and think about them in more detail. 

Collins Street Baptist Church

We stopped to admire the Collins Street Baptist Church.  A church built in the style of a classical Greek temple is a rare sight in the city of Melbourne.

Melbourne Place

Melbourne had a grid of wide streets with generous blocks that allow plenty of space for laneways.  I had rewatched the first episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries to reacquaint myself with the series.  Melbourne Place is one of the narrow laneways where Phryne encountered some of the nefarious characters of 1920s Melbourne.  

As we stood waiting for Kathy to start telling us about how the filming of the tv show in the laneway ended with the evacuation of a nearby hotel, a huge truck began to back in with noising beeps to warn us it was reversing.  I was impressed at the way Kathy took it in her stride, moving aside and waiting for the truck to stop before repositioning us so she could resume her story.

Mayfair Building

If you want to really appreciate the architecture of Melbourne, you must look up beyond the modern shops and offices to see the impressive facades.  We heard stories of many of these such as the facade of the eight story Edwardian Mayfair Building that is all that remains of this old concert hall and cinema which is now modern offices occupied by BHP.

The Regent Theatre

Another common theme was theatres and cinemas.  Of the many remaining in Melbourne's city, the Regent Theatre is one of the ones that makes me the most sentimental.  It was to be demolished as part of the City Square development but a union ban (thank you Norm Gallagher) and a community campaign saved it.  This story makes me appreciate how small the city square is.

In the early 1990s I visited the neglected building before it was restored to its former grandeur.  I remember seeing a huge chandelier prostrate on the floor and all the shabby but ornate decorations.  A few years later I was there again after it was its first musical performance after restoration: Sunset Boulevard starring Hugh Jackman and Debra Byrne.  I was amazed at the lavish interior with a sweeping staircase and golden statues everywhere I looked.  I haven't returned since but maybe one day!

I was also fascinated by the history of the Athenaeum Theatre opposite.  It is a theatre where I have seen many shows including Wogs out of Work, Barry Humphries as Sandy Stone and the comedian Daniel Kitson.
 

Parrot outside Melbourne Town Hall

We walked past the Melbourne Town Hall.  This is a building that dominates Swanston Street and has a central role in the city's history.  I have seen the Choir of Hard Knocks in the Auditorium and comedy festival shows including Dave O'Neil and Rod Quantock.  Our tour was on the last day of the Rising Festival and the buzz of the crowds was a sight to behold.  The photo of the colourful parrot on someone's shoulder as people came out of the Town Hall encapsulates the colour and crowds.

Gin Palace lounge

A highlight of the tour was that it ended with cocktails at the Gin Palace.  This is an icon of the Melbourne laneway bars scene.  It is the re-imagining of the Gin Palace in the 1880s Marvellous Melbourne of luxury and debauchery.  As we descended into the dimly lit basement, it felt like stepping into history.  The decor is opulent extravagance that calls to mind elegant dress and witty banter.  Yet it welcomes everyone with the chandelier, fancy couches with plump embroidered upholstery and large floral arrangements.

Gin Palace lounge, framed pictures and chandelier

We sit in this corner with Kathy and order a cocktail that is included in the cost of the tour.  I am very happy to find mocktails on the drinks menu.  (It was not clear when I checked the website.)  I order the Ambrosia: "Sweet, bubbly fruit cup with apple pie spice: raspberry & clove shrub, apple pie tea, cinnamon, and pear soda ($12)."  The warm spices in my drink are lovely on a winter's day.

Kathy is very generous in talking about how she came to do these tours and is happy to answer our questions.  During the tour she talks so much and dug so many facts and stories from her mind that ishe seems very content to also sit and listen to us talk about our lives.  We are all very happy to sink back into the chairs, sip a cold drink and chat after all that walking.  We have fun trying to identify the faces in the framed pictures around us.  I am particularly amused at the riff on the Claude Monet painting, Woman with a Parasol, only this one had Darth Vader replacing the woman!
 

Gin Palace mocktails menu

After Kathy left, I stayed with Jo and her friend for another drink.  I love that the mocktails menu has an option for adding gin to each mocktail to make them more inclusive.  This meant that when I chose to have the Booch Please mocktail (kombucha and tonic: $13), Jo chose to have it as well but with the optional gin ($23).  K had a strawberry mocktail.  You can see them in the photo below.  I was surprised that's Jo's Gin Booch Please was much larger than my mocktail version.  No wonder the price difference was so huge.  The Booch Please was a revelation.  Who knew the kombucha could be so good in a mocktail! It was my first drink with tonic I have really enjoyed.  It was a refreshing combination of tart, bitter and sweet.

Gin Palace cocktails

I am really glad I decided to fork out $149 (gulp) and did this tour.  While pricey, there was so much information, entertainment and fun in the three hours, so much I learnt, the afternoon tea to start and the mocktail at the end.  If you are interested in Melbourne's architectural and social history and/or insider stories about Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, I highly recommend this tour.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Tour
Run by MELtours (Melbourne Walking Tours)
Melbourne CBD
1.30pm Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Cost $149
www.meltours.com.au/tours/missfishermurdermysteriestour

Gin Palace
10 Russell Pl, Melbourne CBD
Open 7 days, 4pm to 3am 
www.ginpalace.com.au

More posts on Green Gourmet Giraffe about visiting historic buildings in south east of Melbourne CBD that were featured in the tour:

• Hotel Windsor - high tea
• Hotel Windsor - accommodation and breakfast 
• Open House Melbourne 2012 including Tasma Terrace  
• Open House 2014 including Old Treasury Building 
• Tea Rooms 1892, Block Arcade
• Victorian Parliament House: photos of a tour 

My Monthly Chronicles: February 2026 (protests and One for the Crow cafe)

February was hot and busy (though not as busy as March which is already getting away from me before I can reflect on last month).  I joined a protest against the visit of the Israeli President.  We had vegan adventures for Sylvia's birthday and ate lots of good meals at cafes.  See more about my month: In My Kitchen: February 2026 post.

The final evening of February rang in the craziness of March with the USA bombing Iran and my sister turned back homewards midway on the first leg of her flight from Dublin to Melbourne via the Middle East.  There is lots more I could write about this but that will have to wait until my March post.  

Above is a delicious Summer salad I had at Wild Timor Cafe in Coburg.  It had apple, lettuce, goats cheese, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber, a pretty swirl of vinaigrette and something crunchy (nuts?).  I didn't take notes.  Just the thing for a hot summer day.

Hareruya Pantry, Carlton

I had this miso brownie at Hareruya pantry (15 - 17 Lincoln Square South) while on a lunchtime walk.  It is opposite Lincoln Square, a lovely green urban park.  I have not been there for ages and was enchanted by the kids play area with rope ladders and a little wooden house on a pole.  There are lots of shady trees so when I met a friend I used to work with, we met here on a warm day and were pleased to get out of sunshine.

Tylers Milk Bar, Preston

I have raved about Tylers Milkbar (656 Plenty Road) so many times; they always impress.  We love it.  Sylvia and I had a great lunch there.  I had the Caesar salad of "Crispy cos lettuce, chickpeas, roasted carrots, green peas, croutons, crispy bacon bits, capers, dill, chives & creamy tahini dressing finished with a cheesy seed crumble".  I had the tofu bacon option to make it vegetarian.  Sylvia had "The F*#%ing amazing toastie" with a chickpea omelette.  More about this toastie further down.  We were both very satisfied.

Pan Pan Theatre's Casando, North Carlton

This photo of a gorgeous sunset was taken on my ride home on a thankfully cool evening after immersing myself in Pan Pan Theatre's performance of Casando by Samuel Becket.  (An fantastic birthday present - thanks Chris.)  We met in the Wild Geese pub on the Southern end of Sydney Road, Brunswick and then crossed into Princes Park in North Carlton where we donned black hooded cloaks and noise cancelling headphones with a recording of Irish actors reading the play.  We walked in single file around the park with our heads down (mostly) and steady footsteps that made rhythmic crunch on the gravel.  I would have loved to have been an onlooker.  Nevertheless it was fun to be part of the spectacle and occasionally look up to see reactions of passers-by.  

I felt like a monk taking part in an ecclesiastical assembly as we paced among the trees in silence and meditation.  With our earphones hidden under our hoods, it looked silent but actually we were listening to Irish voices, intoning a script in which the mundane becomes portentous, and the occasional bursts of discordant music.  One bloke in a ute, driving past us on Royal Parade, yelled out "what the hell?" and who could blame him in these apocalyptic times! 

Protest against visit of the Israeli president, Flinders Street Station, CBD

On a Monday night I rode to the city after work to join the protest against the visit of the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who was invited by our government despite him being found by the UN to be responsible for inciting genocide.  I finally had the fire in my belly and the circumstances where I could get to a pro-Palestine protest.  I wish it had been earlier but was glad finally to demonstrate my anger and concern!  I was met by a sea of Palestinian flags, political placards and thousands of people gathering in one of the busiest intersections in Melbourne (Naarm).

As it was I stayed for an hour of speeches and then went home rather than continue with the March.  The speeches were varying in quality.  (When Lidia Thorpe spoke about the links with the Australian Indigenous experiences, I was amused to overhear someone say that they didn't know that Israel was oppressing Aboriginal people.)  When I got home and saw that the mainstream media only focused on the Sydney protests where the state governments recent legislation allowed the police to created conditions for unnecessary clashes and violence.  I was so angry I contacted our local radio station the next day but it is so frustrating trying to comment on a complex issue in the short space allocated.

Most moving and insightful at the Melbourne protest was the speech by Mai Saif who starts by saying "I was asked what would you say to Herzog if he was right in front of you ... I just looked at the reporter and said what do you say to a person who cannot see you as a human being."  She told of her memories in Palestine as a 6 year old having a soldier point a gun at her head, of being tear gassed when coming home from school, of her grandfather released from prison being beaten and broken but refusing to be silenced.  You can see more of her speech and more footage of the protests as well as insightful and compassionate commentary on The Shot's episode on 15 February 2025: Cohesion, Division and State Violence – with guests Crystal Andrews and Antoun Issa.

Ballards, Thornbury

We shared an amazing 9 dish dinner at Ballards vegan restaurant (915 High Street).  I loved that the courses were lots of vegetables, nut and seed sauces and whimsical touches with no mock meat.  Having a non- alcoholic sangria was also a treat.  This was such a great special meal that Sylvia organised for my birthday.  You can read more about our dinner in my Ballards blog post.  

Tylers Milkbar, Preston II

I had a pleasant lunch at the wonderful Tylers Milkbar (656 Plenty Road) with my friend Jo in the courtyard.  She had a vegan version of the Top of the Morning burger.  I had the "The F*#%ing amazing toastie (Vegan option, GF option): Spring onion omelette, Six Eyed Scorpion crispy chilli oil, more spring onion and double tasty cheese with a side of our roasted sesame sauce for a dipping good time".  I had a vegan version so I could have the spring onion chickpea pancake which was so so good.  Sylvia earlier in the month had had hers with tofu bacon and asked for minimal chilli oil.  I forgot to ask for either of these and loved the chickpea omelette that I didn't mind but I did scrape most of the chilli oil off my sandwich and found that it was a nice spiciness for me.  It was fun to have Jo's company for most of the bike ride home.

Croix Croissant, Flemington

Sylvia and I had a visit to Croix Croissant bakery (185 Mt. Alexander Rd) soon after Valentine's day.  She was delighted that they still had their seasonal specials available and ordered the vegan Pink rose brulee danish  and the soy Pink latte with a sweet berry flavour.  She loved them.  I had a (not vegan) Banoffee cruffin which was lovely but my personal preference would have been more caramel and less custard.  Then because we got there so late, we were given a freebie vegan Passionfruit coconut cruffin topped with the cutest vanilla cream with a centre of passionfruit and coconut jam.  Again Sylvia enjoyed it more than me as I am not really into vanilla cream but the pastry was amazing.

Damona factory, Williamstown North

One of Sylvia's heart's desires on her birthday was to visit the Damona factory (40 Chelmsford St) to buy offcuts of their fantastic vegan cheese.  We rang first to see if they had offcuts before leaving home that morning.  They were very friendly and we got samples of mozzarella, American cheese, pecorino, feta and brie.  It is Sylvia's favourite vegan cheese and we are so happy it is made here in Melbourne.

 

Adventures in the western suburbs of Melbourne

The above birthday trip to Damona was just the start of Sylvia's birthday adventure in the west of Melbourne.  We are not out that way often so we made the most of it by shopping at the wonderful Helping Hands op shop (85-89 Hampshire Road, Sunshine), purchasing Dubai chocolate pistachio paste at iPantry (99-101 Proximity Drive Sunshine West) and finding more bargains at Savers (33 Albert Street, Footscray).  See my In My Kitchen: February 2026 post for more about these and also Sylvia's birthday presents.

Along the way, I found out the hard way that if you don't take the correct lane on the West Gate freeway to skirt around the new tunnel you have to go the long way over the bridge and back to turn off to Williamstown.  I also enjoyed seeing some beautiful street art and have shared these among other photos in my post on  Street Art in Melbourne: North Melb and West of Melbourne.  We also had a fantastic lunch at One for the Crow in Maidstaone which as you can see above had some wonderful crow wall art.  You can read below more about our scrumptious meal.

One for the Crow - burger

Sylvia was already a big fan of One for the Crow (9 Commercial Street, Maidstone).  She could not wait to try more after enjoying the Big Brekkie at this vegan cafe previously.  On this visit she ordered the "Nashville Hot 'Honey' Burger: Crumbed enoki mushroom drizzled with a hot 'honey' glaze, served with cabbage slaw, pickles and a side of chips, $24".  She declared it one of her best ever burgers.  

We also ordered one of their vegan fried eggs on the side because although Sylvia had had it previously I was curious.  I had intended to order it on the Hummus and Avocado (Beetroot hommus, sliced avocado topped with almond feta, smokey soy and sesame roasted pepitas, lightly pickled cucumber with fresh herbs on toasted sourdough.  Perhaps fortunately it was unavailable because am not sure I could eat a whole one of these eggs.  The yolk is a carrot and sweet potato mixture and the white is seasoned tofu.  It was gooey in a way that I find icky in regular eggs and was too eggy for me.  Sylvia enjoyed it though she found it less flavoured than regular eggs.  But it was fascinating that it looked so real and like regular fried eggs, it makes a meal look so much fancier!  We just had it on the side on a plate and even then it looked amazing.

One for the Crow - Reuben

Instead of the Hummus and Avo, I had the Reuben Toasted Sandwich: "Pastrami spiced tempeh, cheese, pickled cabbage, almond feta, dill pickles and kimchi mayo on sourdough toast, $21".  I am so sorry my photo does not do justice to this amazing sandwich.  It is the best Reuben I have ever had and I just loved the spiced tempeh and the vegan cheesiness with the tart pickled veg.

One for the Crow - waffle

Our lunch was so good and it was a birthday celebration so we splurged on the "Creme Brulee Waffle: served with cashew custard, honeycomb, strawberries, roasted almonds and ice cream, $20".  I was glad we were sharing as we were pretty full by now.  But it was a wonderful waffle.  The combination of nuts, honeycomb, ice cream and berries was superb and the waffle was hot and crisp as it should be.

It was a great experience.  For our drinks, Sylvia had the Biscoff milkshake with a shot of coffee and loved it.  I was happy to have a kombucha.  The staff were friendly and happy to help.  We were both very full as we left but very happy to have eaten such good food.

Red Sparrow Pizza, Fitzroy

Sylvia is fond of a week of birthday celebrations so a few days later we went to Red Sparrow Pizza (60 Rose Street).  It claims to be Melbourne's first and only vegan pizzeria.  We are lucky it is only a few suburbs away.  Sylvia had eaten there before and raved about it.  She started with the Garlic Parmesan Not Wings which she enjoyed but asked me if chicken is always so stringy, having never eaten the stuff herself.  On her last visit, she loved the Cheeseburger pizza (Tomato Base, Mozzarella, Crumbled Burger, Red Onion, Pickles, Burger Sauce and Sesame Seeds, $30) so she ordered it again.  I chose the Verde pizza (Pesto Base, Mozzarella, Artichoke, Spinach, Broccolini, and Toasted Pepitas, $28 with optional goats style cashew cheese).  It was the prettiest pizza with edible flower garnishes and tasted good but I preferred the Cheeseburger.

Red Sparrow Pizza II

We also ordered mocktails: a berry and a matcha.  Mine was a bit tart but Sylvia's was really delightful and she loved having a vegan foam on top.

Of course we ordered too much and took some pizza home in their cute Red Sparrow box (with the lost in sauce illustration) that our cat now enjoys sitting on.
 

Wild Timor Cafe, Coburg II

On another warm day, I returned to the Summer Salad at Wild Timor Cafe (282 Sydney Rd).  It had apple, lettuce, goats cheese, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber, vinaigrette, dukkah and pomegranate arils.  While I loved it this time, especially all the crunch from the dukkah, I was less keen on the dukkah's spices.  I preferred the previous version of the salad that you can see at the top of the post.  I had a chat to the staff who said I could try it without the dukkah next time.  

In the News:

The media have continued to be focused on Epstein and Israel, with some the Winter Olympics offering some light relief.  In Australia there was a lot to be said about pro-Palestine protests (see more above), immigration and the Liberal and National parties joining up once more to be the Liberal National coalition.  Our Prime Minster put his foot in his mouth when he called Grace Tame 'difficult' and our Treasurer is looking at reforming Capital Gains Tax.  Some interesting reading below:

Jeffrey Epstein Couldn’t Stop Emailing People About Eugenics, MotherJones, 10 February 2026.

When peaceful protest is allowed to work, democracy works, Pearls and Irritations, 11 February 2026.

Canberra bar declared a crime scene as police seize 'clearly satirical' posters under new Commonwealth hate laws, ABC News, 19 February 2026.

Albanese changes tune on immigration and 'ISIS brides' as One Nation effect hits, in ABC News, 23 February 2026.

Could Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor’s arrest bring down the British monarchy? in The Conversation, 20 February 2026.

Left-wing plumber helps Greens sink ruling Labour and far right in surprise U.K. election win, NBC News, 27 February 2026.

Nearly 5,000 sailors, malfunctioning toilets: What’s happening on US’ largest warship amid Iran tensions? Firstpost, 25 February 2026.

Notable deaths were Jon Kadulka, the sharp-witted Tasmanian political cartoonist, and James Van Der Beek who is remembered fondly from Dawsons Creek and his good humoured sending himself up in later years.

Watching and listening (highly recommended):

Stranger Things, series 5: the final series of this coming of age, sci-fi, horror Netflix series.  Great characters, fascinating plot, amazing scenery, disturbing villains, 1980s nostalgia and memorable lines like "well butter my butt and call me a biscuit" from Murray.  My favourite character has to be Joyce because Winona Ryder makes me nostalgic for my days as a twentysomething.  

Tales from outer suburbia: an animated tv series based on Shaun Tan's otherworldly graphic novel, shown on ABC iview. 

Emily Kate Genatowski: My year living with a robot: Fascinating Ted talk podcast about considering on the day to day and policy challenges we will face with AI-powered robots in our lives rather than panicked statements on robots taking all our jobs and destroying our world. 

A short history of the innovations that have shaped human progress: a Conversations podcast with Andrew Leigh about his book on the history of innovations and how they change people's lives in both good and damaging ways (eg the printing press, the industrial revolution and AI) and how when a society is stable they are more likely to emerge.