Coburg Night Market 2025

We love the Coburg Night Market every year in December.  It is a perfect way to welcome in the summer relaxing in the shade of the trees with good local food and local live music in good company with the option of catching up on Christmas shopping at the craft markets.   This year Sylvia went each day and I went two of the three days.  It is one of the many reasons to love Coburg!

 

On Sylvia's first evening (with her dad) there she went to Nohadra's Kitchen for the (vegan) Taste of Iraq mixed plate with 2 crispy falafels, 2 savoury Kuba Haleb (crispy rice balls with mushroom filling), 3 tender Dolma, zesty tabouli, fresh salad, tangy pickled turnip, soft flatbread, and tahini sauce (no spicy sauce for us).  She loved it and I had it on my second day and loved it as well.  I was pleased that Sylvia finally was singing the praises of dolma (vine leaf wrapped rice). So much good food in the plate.
 

 

Sylvia also had an earl grey matcha RYU which she rates very highly.  It is a gorgeous green colour.  She went back the next night for a fine blueberry matcha. -earl grey
 

Mela Patisserie, who have a cafe in the Pentridge shopping centre, had a stall of festive bakes: minced tarts, puddings, fruit cake and gingerbread.  The puddings were wrapped in gorgeous cloth with star and candy cane patterns.  Sylvia bought a tree shaped stack of gingerbread stars.  I was so curious about the DIY gingerbread house kit for $40, which you can see at the right of the photos.  I am sure it must be better than those dry supermarket versions.

We have always enjoyed the gorgeous smelling candles in tins at Leaf Candle Co (see a photo in my 2024 market post).  Their gingerbread candles smell so cosy and spicy.  This year they had darling little fabric oranments that had been stitched in great detail by the owner's mum.  You can see some of the little houses with the door, windows and garden stitched in them.  Sylvia could not resist buying one.

 

I went on the second night with a friend while Sylvia was also there with a friend.  It gave me time to look around a buy for her without her about.  We both love this stall with all the dainty ceramic houses by Fiona Howes.  It is one of those displays where I want to bring everything home even if I don't have any space for it.  Sadly I know that at home it is easy to take for granted what seems so exciting and gorgeous when browsing.

 

Another regular stall holder is Elvedee Design.  She makes gorgeous cards, tea towels and coasters with illustrations of local icons such as Pentridge, Bin Chicken Island and the Coburg Drive in.

A newcomer was Claire Mosley Art.  I really loved her local flora and fauna artwork.  She had a few different cards and tea towels with creatures from the Merri Creek.

Continuing in the theme of unique Australian artwork were the Dancing Grass designs on tea towels, table cloths and bags.  It is great to see so much creative reimagining of flora and fauna.  I was very tempted by the tea towels and bags.  

By the time Jo and I had browsed the craft stalls, were ready for dinner.  This was when we bumped into Sylvia who recommended the Lucy Oi rice paper rolls with caramelised tofu.  By then it was so crowded that it was impossible to walk up to a order dinner without waiting.  It was even hard to get to see all the options.  

So we joined the Lucy Oi queue while Sylvia and co went to find us a seat.  They even found us some bean bags!  We had lots to catch up on so before we knew we were seated with our fantastic rice paper rolls - I wish I could roll a rice paper roll that tightly with such delicious filling.

Jo's family joined us and it was a lovely listening to the mellow music of Miss Emilia and watching the crowd as a hot day turned to a pleasant evening.  The roving performers from Sanctum Studio passed us by with what was described online as the "Braxadragon – an incredible intergalactic specimen cultivated from cuttings collected on Planet Bird Colourful Jelly Sparkle".  Excitable kids followed the giant pink puppet on the wagon yelling "eat me" and screaming when it turned their way.  

 

When we decided we wanted ice cream, Sylvia went to Billy Van Creamy for a chocolate ice cream for me and Jo's kids got her a lemon sorbet in an lemon from Taste of Amalfi  local lemon sorbet.  Then we were all ready to go home as the daylight was waning and the lights were coming on.

Here's more of the stalls we browsed:

Top row: Fiona Howes, Maho's Drawing, Fiona Howes, 
Middle row: Mela Patisserie, Elvedee Design, Bumi Botanicals
Bottom Row: WOZWASTE (a spinny hanging made from recycled toothbrushes), Claire Mosley Art, Green Candle Co.
 

The next day I returned to the market with Sylvia soon after the market started at 12pm,  It was so quiet after the bustling previous night.  Not even any music had started.  It was warm enough that people were gathered under the shady trees. 

Being there early meant there were no queues for the food trucks.  Sylvia had her eye on the Spanish leek and seitan sausage from Artesanos Catering and I bought myself a Taste of Iraq mixed plate from Nohadra's Kitchen that Sylvia had had on her first visit (scroll up to the second top photo for more info).  The sausage was nice but not amazing.  After we left Sylvia read that Mr Baller's meatball subs had vegan versions.  I hope they are there next year because if they are, we will not assume they are all meat.

The standout dish of the market was the vegan mushroom bitterballen from the Amsterdam inspired Mokum.  This stall was run by the staff of the cafe of the same name in Brunswick.  I have meant to go there for ages.  The fritters were freshly fried with a crunchy outside and a creamy herby filling with field mushrooms.  I was so impressed I have finally visited the cafe since the market.  
 

We also bought some stuffed cookies from Oh My Crumbs.  They were huge so we took them home for later.  Sylvia got a gingerbread cookie and I had a Dubai chocolate cookie.  

Instead of the cookie, I had half an Alfojores from the Coburg Primary School bake sale which were sandy cookies sandwiched together by a lovely dulce de leche.   Walking on we were happy to have a slice of watermleon from the Greens political party.  

Also on the above photo collage are Vegan Tibetan momos from Chemi's Momo and rice paper rolls from Lucy Oi.

Then Sylvia and I had a quick look at some favourite stalls.  We stopped to admire the charming display at Bumi Botanicals.  The woman behind the counter was interested to hear that Sylvia still has a dream catcher that she bought at their stall 2 years ago.  She seemed pleased it had lasted.

 

I also stopped at Kujoberry to take a photos of their gorgeous colourful felt hair ties and purses 

We saw a few other memorable stalls that I didn't photograph.   I tasted some of the banksia honey at BadBees which was excellent.  The min mini dilly bags by Baljil Art were really lovely and I was sad they were not back on my second visit.  I heard someone say that there are people who buy the calendar of local pubs from Able And Game and each month they visit the pub on the calendar.  Sylvia was delighted that Loco for Cocoa was there again.  And I really love the local artwork of inner suburb icons on tea towels, stickers and jigsaws by Lawz Drawz.

We didn't stay long on Saturday but were still feeling warmed by the memories of the fine evening on Friday when we mooched on beanbags with the sun setting behind the large palm tree.  This market is a great tradition that I hope will last for a long time.

Read previous posts about my visits to the Coburg Night Market in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019,  2022, 2023 and 2024.

Coburg Night Market
Bridges Rd Reserve
Thursday 11 Dec - Saturday 13 Dec 2025
www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/coburg-night-market
www.facebook.com/coburgnightmarket

My Monthly Chronicles: November 2025

This November I have been riding the zeitgeist train (literally).  I have ridden the trains through the new Melbourne Metro Tunnel, been a onlooker at the latest world record for number of bagpipers, dined out on a vegan Halloween dinner in a gay bar, and indulged in Dubai chocolate treats.  It has been a fun month.  November is the Melbourne Cup holiday, we had a Halloween lunch for my boys birthday and a 21st birthday tea for my nieces, and 24 November is National Fairy Bread Day.

Read more about my month at my posy on In my kitchen: November 2025. 

The above photo is of a collage that I made at a workshop at Monsalvat.  More of this further down the post.

Zachary Bird's pop up at DTs pub, Richmond

On the first weekend in November we went to DTs Hotel (164 Church St, Richmond) for a pop up by Zachary Bird who was holding a vegan Halloween roast dinner.  DTs is a gay bar.  I had not been there before but I was amused at how it they seamlessly blended the rainbows and cupids with the Halloween decorations.
 

Zachary Bird's Vegan Halloween Lunch, Richmond

The vegan Halloween roast was excellent.  The beet Wellington was filled with gourmet mushroom duxelles, vegan beef, baby beetroot, lentils, tofu & more! It tasted great; rich with none of the tough texture of seitan.  As a little bonus the pastry wrapping looked like a mummy.  On the side was a pumpkin & fava mash, roasted asparagus, honey mustard Dutch carrots, buttery peas & screaming spuds with gravy.  

I was amused that ridges were drawn through the mash.  I could barely see the faces poked in the roast potatoes but they were so good especially with lots of gravy.  We both loved having gravy all over our dinner.  While we make gravy at home occasionally, it is much harder to find a veg gravy when eating out.

We also had desserts.  My snickers apple fritters were not quite what I expected; oozing with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce and more mini apple pies than fritters.  They were nice but not as amazing as the main meal.  Sylvia really loved her caramilk cannoli that she chose for dessert. 

Abandoned house in Coburg?

I regularly ride past this shell of a house on the Upfield bike path in Coburg.  I don't know how long ago there was the fire but I guess this is why it looks so neglected.  I keep wondering how long it will last before it is pulled down.  It will be a shame because it has a lovely bull nose verandah with cast iron lace.  It would be lovely if it was restored but I am guessing it would cost a lot.

Burrito Bae, Ascot Vale 

We had lunch at Burrito Bae ( 413 Mt Alexander Rd, Ascot Vale) and tried some new meals.  We had the jalapeno poppers that we always have because Sylvia loves these.  I decided to try the Bean Burrito Bowl with rice, cheese and beans topped with lots of guacamole, sour cream, mayo, salsa and corn chips.  It was pretty creamy but tasted great.  Sylvia had the Plant Based Chick’n Burrito.  She preferred the bean burrito we had on previous visits.  We had the churros with both chocolate and caramel sauces and left feeling full and taking home leftovers.

Pulp is coming to Melbourne

I was so excited to hear Pulp is touring Melbourne that I got tickets on the first day they went on sale.  It is a rare pleasure to see a Pulp poster by the Upfield railway line in Brunswick.

No more Let it Be Sunday on Joy The Baker:  Since the end of 2015, Joy The Baker has written a Let it Be Sunday post with reflections and random web links.  I have enjoyed reading a lot of these with the relaxed tone and interesting links.  So I was sad to read that she has decided to close that chapter of her blog.  Yet I appreciate that there is always change in blogging and wish her well with future projects.

Bagpiping world record, Federation Square, CBD

I took the tram into the city with Sylvia to join the crowds at Federation Square to witness a new world record for the biggest bagpipe ensemble.  The massed 374 pipers played AC/DC's iconic song, Long Way to the Top, which was recorded in December 1975 on the back of a flatbed truck along driving along Swanston Street.  This street has changed massively in almost 50 years including the building of Federation Square during that time.  More about this world record event at ABC News and The Age newspaper. 

Bagpiping record crowd, Federation Square

The bagpiping record attracted thousands to watch it.  I say "watch" but the crowd was so huge that we only managed to get close enough to see the tops of the pipes.  The only way I could get a sense of the crowd was on the big screens.  While the bagpipers played along with Long Way to the Top, the video from 1975 played on the big screen.  

The world record was a creative way to celebrate AC/DC playing in Melbourne that night so there were lots of Acca Dacca fans present.  The video was enjoyed by those who love the song but also those who loved the nostalgia of seeing 1970s Melbourne.  I wonder if any of the band members were in the crowd.  Though the band is getting old and probably needed to save their energy for their first concert in Melbourne for 10 years.

We were lucky the crowded event went off without a hitch.  The following night, the support act for AC/DC, Amy and the Sniffers were to play a free set at Fed Square but it was cancelled due to concerns about the crowds.  Amy and Sniffers generously donated thousands for free drinks at nearby pubs.

Rose Garden BBQ Shop, Melbourne CBD

We had an odd visit to the Rose Garden at 435 Elizabeth Street.  It is a traditional Chinese restaurant with glazed carcasses in the window and more naked carcasses out the back!  (Shudder!)  Sylvia had read good things so we ordered fried rice and an eggplant dish with lots of sauce and rice.  As the dishes arrived, we thought to check on if there were peanuts (re Sylvia's allergy).  We were told that both dishes had peanuts.  

So we left with our meals in takeaway containers and went on to Biang Biang that we knew.  As Sylvia's allergy is not anaphylactic (and she can handle traces), sometimes we rely on the menu rather than asking but were glad we checked.   I had a few meals out of it and when I took a tub of it to work for lunch, my colleagues were impressed by it.  I really loved all the veg and fried tofu in the fried rice and the eggplants were beautifully soft and tasty.

Biang Biang, Melbourne CBD 

After leaving the Rose Garden we had a delicious dinner at Biang Biang (419 Elizabeth St).  We have previously been to the Swanston St restaurant and this was as good on this visit.  Sylvia returned to her Biang Biang Noodles with chilli which she loved and this time tried a seaweed salad on the side but was less keen on it.  I tried the veggie pastry (aka a Chinese burger).  It was stirfried vegetable sticks with tofu sandwiched together between two slabs of pastry that flaky like scallion pancakes.  I was surprised at how much I loved it, despite it sounding odd to my Anglo-Celtic idea of pastry!
 

Bakes and Bagels, Thornbury

We dropped in at Bakes and Bagels (115 Miller Street) for a quick lunch where we shared a couple of vegan bagels.  I really loved the Vegan Joe, ($22.90) which was filled with plant based beef with spices cooked in tomato ragu, fresh tomato, crispy lettuce and vegan cream cheese.  Sylvia preferred the Teriyummy Tofu ($22.90) with grilled teriyaki marinated tofu, vegan cream cheese and kimchi slaw. Both showed some creativity with vegan fillings that we appreciated.

Upfield bike path, Coburg North

When I ride up North along the Upfield bike path, I particularly love the section between Bakers Rd and Spry St where locals have planted flowers along the small piece of ground between the bike path and the railway line.  It is lovely at this time of year to see flowers blooming: poppies, bottle brush, gladioli, pea flowers, daisies,  etc etc.  It amuses me to see the whimsy of planting in discarded watering cans, bike helmets (hanging from the railing) and old boots.

Franco and Co, Eltham

While on the way to Monsalvat, we stopped for lunch at Franco and Co (720 Main Road).  Although it was on a busy road it was set back enough for some outside tables in a generous area with vines and umbrellas.  It was perfect on a warm spring day.  I liked that the menu had some good vegan and gluten free options.  

I expected my cauliflower salad to be slightly dull but it popped with colour, flavours and texture.  Big florets of purple, yellow and white cauliflower were served on a slick of beetroot hummus and topped with red onion, chilli flakes, pomegranates, walnuts and sherry dressing.  We also ordered The Grandma (a margherita pizza) and a parmesan and rocket  salad.  I also had an excellent Sour summer mocktail: lime, mint, passionfruit, pineapple juice, simple syrup and ginger beer.  It was not cheap but it was such a great meal in a relaxed setting.

Storyholding Collage Workshop, Monsalvat, Eltham

We went to Monsalvat (7 Hillcrest Ave) to return to the Storyholding Collage Workshop with Rochelle Van Der Merwe that we enjoyed so much last year.  I made the collage at the top of the page, though like last year, Sylvia got hers all done by the end of the workshop and I had to finish mine at home.  This time it was in the stables.

Heidi garden, Bulleen

It had been so long since I was last at Heide Museum of Modern Art (7 Templestowe Rd).  The grounds were a great place to stop to wait for an address for a FaceBook Marketplace at Templestowe.  I enjoyed the lush kitchen garden with flowers in bloom.  It was much more fun than getting lost in a suburb far far from home.

True North, Coburg

I have visited True North (2A Munro St) many times but never in the evening.  I had a great catch up with friend Jo and Andrea there.  The evening menu had less choices but some interesting specials.  I ordered one of these - Pasta with mushroom ragu, pangratto and parmesan.  It was excellent: more pangratto and less ragu than I expected but great flavour and texture.  I was also pleased to see they had a few interesting syrups for non-alcoholic sodas and I enjoyed the ginger beer. 

Tokyo Lamington, Carlton

We walked along Lygon Street without finding a place to agree on for a late lunch before we turned the corner and ended up at Tokyo Lamington (258 Elgin Street).   Who can resist the omusubi and great selection of lamingtons, especially when they have a Dubai chocolate one.  It was a chocolate sponge cake sandwiching together a creamy crunchy Dubai chocolate filling of pistachio cream and kataifi and everything is covered in a flaky chocolate coating.  It was a little chilly but I guess with that chocolate coating it needed to be kept in the fridge.

The Torch Gallery: Future Dreaming, Carlton

Again and again I meant to go to the Torch Gallery's Future Dreaming exhibition in the building that was for many years the Carlton Post Office (146 Elgin St).  I finally arrived there about an hour before it closed on the last day.  It was a relief I made it when I saw the amazing artworks.  The Torch assists First Nations prisoners to reconnect with culture and earn income from art sales.  Future Dreaming has 235 small paintings for sale but by the time I got there most were sold.

The Torch Gallery: Future Dreaming artworks, Carlton

The paintings at the Torch were just beautiful to look at.  Every time I felt I had seen so much creative re-imagining of Aboriginal traditions that there could be no more, I found another gorgeous artwork.  I got talking to a guy who turned out to be one of the artists.  He told me that he was seeing the exhibition for the first time because he had been in prison.  He was friendly to talk to and it was so lovely to see his pride when he pointed out his artwork to me.

This was my second First Nations art exhibition in a month!  I also visited and wrote about the extraordinary Potter Gallery First Nations exhibition: 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art.  There is so much good First Nations artwork about that it makes me feel so proud to live in Australia!  I just wish that so much of it didn't have to come from the trauma of colonisation.
  

Merri Community Shed Community Market, Coburg

My timing was not grea for visiting the Merri Community Shed Community Market (19 Harding St).  I threw an umbrella in my bag and left my coat in the car.  After I arrived, the overcast weather soon turned to rain that was so heavy it hailed!  I got wet but I felt sorry for the stallholders.  It was impossible to browse and I couldn't wait to leave and go home to change into dry clothes.  This meant less time for chatting and buying.  The above photo is of my friend's soy fish coasters (from Remaki).  She told me that some of her craft was ruined by the rain.  

The community shed is in the old Coburg bowls club where I have some good memories of events.  I am sad to hear it is going to give way to an fancy new Aspire Sports Centre, which is included on the Council's shiny new vision for Central Coburg to be crowded with lots of buildings up to 18 stories high.  It is difficult to see this as a good way for the suburb to develop, much as I want to support the social housing part of it.

Metro Tunnel Parkville Station

At the end of November, there was lots of excitement with the opening of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel which doubled the central underground stations from 3 to 8.  The above photo is of the new Parkville Tunnel hall before the opening of the platforms.  I was mesmerised by the light playing on the escalators from the above skylight.  I also rode the trains on the official opening day.  I am planning to write more about the new Metro Tunnel.

In the News:

As the year comes to a close there are achievements (Melbourne Metro Tunnel and First Nations Treaty in Victoria), disappointments (funding cuts proposed for the CSIRO, cohealth and the Victorian State Library) and more news items:

As US government shutdown drags on, 42 million people could be affected by food program [SNAP] cuts, in ABC News, 2 November 2025.

Chris Minns – pepper spray for peace protestors one day, lunch at war-crimes-lobby the next, by Michael West and Wendy Bacon, in Michael West Media, 6 November 2025. (Defence Expo in NSW)

Zohran Mamdani shows how Democrats can defeat authoritarians like Trump, in The Guardian, 6 November 2025. (new New York mayor)

The populist assault on the BBC: Johnson, Gibb and the Telegraph are trying to turn the BBC into GB News, by Ian Dunt in Striking 13 substack, 10 November 2025. (complaints about BBC editing a speech by Trump)

Gough dreamed of a country that never was, and asked why not? by Greg Jericho in The Point, 11 November 2025 (50th anniversary of The Dismissal of Australia's Prime Minister)

Lost hearts, closed minds. Medical research show ignores plight of Gaza, amplifies Israel, by Michael West and Wendy Bacon in Michael West Media, 17 November 2025. (Cardiologist Professor Peter Macdonald banned after a comment in a non-work forum)

Stop pretending punishment works, by Sheena Colquhoun in Pearls and Irritations on 19 November 2025 (Adult time for adult crime for kids legislation in Victoria)

Two-day Test could cost Cricket Australia millions in lost revenue after Travis Head brings swift end, in the Guardian, 23 November 2025. (That's just not cricket to rush a match!)

Australia Is On Track To Eliminate Cervical Cancer —But We Need to Keep Showing Up, in Elle, 25 November 2025.

Teens launch High Court challenge to Australia's social media ban, in BBC News, 26 November 2025.

Long sought environmental law reform is finally here.  But will the compromise deal actually protect nature?  in the Conversation, 27 November 2025. (federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act)

In my kitchen: November 2025

As spring becomes summer at the end of November, we are enjoying stone fruit and festive food.  Recent joys have included Dubai chocolate products, peaches and nectarines and a soap that smells of marzipan and makes me think of Christmas and stollen waiting in the pantry for a special occasion.   I hope you are enjoying this crazy time of festivities and holidays.  Read on to find out more about our experimenting with vegan food, buying interesting groceries and making some new recipes.  (I will soon post My Monthly Chronicles for more about November's outings and wider world.)

Above is one of a box of Dubai inspired Chocolate and Pistachio Tarts.  The filling was pretty good with  thick soft chocolate ganache over with crispy kataifi mixed with creamy pistachio spread in fairly ordinary shortcrust cases and topped with pistachios.  At $12 for 6 tarts at Woolworths supermarket, I expected a bit more than a thin tough shell of pastry but the filling was so good that I might just go back for more.  The packaging is festive like quite a lot of sweet offerings there, but only a few of them are traditional Christmas treats.
 

Dubai chocolate was a bit of thing this month.  I am sure I am seeing it more about me but also have developed quite a taste for it.  So much so that for our special birthday lunch at the start of November ,I made a adult Dubai Chocolate caterpillar cake.,  It was delicious but the chocolate brownie cupcakes were a bit of a challenge.  So much so that I made another batch a week or so later.  

They don't look very impressive in the pans but the texture was much softer than my first two goes.  When they cook, they must be watched carefully as they get dry quickly but are amazing when less dry.  I had also hoped another batch would use up the pistachio cream frosting but we still have some left in the fridge, with the hope that we might be inspired enough to use it up.

I found some energy to make a Sourdough antipasto focaccia.  This time I packed it with olives, cheese and chopped pickled red onion.  I also used mostly wholemeal flour.  It did not rise fantastically but was soft and tasty.  I blame the lack of rise on the cold weather that continues to alternate with sunny warm days and make the weeds grow like crazy. 

I dropped into Mr Dad Asian Supermarket on the corner of Victoria Street and Bouverie to check out their furikake.  I was waylaid by small chocolate slabs with a pleasing green criss cross of matcha.  The I discovered the rows of furikaka.  I chose a Marumiya furikake whose ingredients included matcha and pleased Sylvia.  I also bought a Korean Seasoned Seaweed by Surasang that looked similar to furikake.  It worked well in Tofucado.

Aldi is well known for it's Christmas items in the middle row.  We checked it out and there was a tyranny of choice: fudge, nougat, nuts etc.  The Christmas liquorice is an old favourite.  We love lebkuchen: covering it with chocolate and filling it with apricot jam took it to another level!  The European spice cookies (speculaas) were excellent.  The mini-stollen is waiting for the right moment.

These all butter cheese biscuits from Aldi are so cute with their star and Christmas tree shapes.  They are being saved for a Christmas platter!

The Mushroom Bao Buns from Aldi are so cute with their green ribbon and red bow.  They are still in our freezer.

I enjoyed converting a carnivorous sausage and broken lasagna recipe into a vegetarian one.  I have written a post on Stovetop lasagna two ways which includes the (vegetarian) sausage ragu lasagne.  It was so good we made it twice in the month.
 

Sylvia found a recipe on social media for a Dumpling bake based on a viral recipe.  I used a recipe from Cooking with Ayeh.  We loved the crispy topped dumplings in the (coconut) creamy Thai curry sauce that was filled with bok choy, bean sprouts, edamame, enoki mushrooms.  Next time we will buy a bigger bag of dumplings.

Another winning new recipe by Sylvia was a vegan Cheezy broccoli orzo.  The pasta and orzo were cooked separately and then mix together with peas and a vegan cashew cheese sauce.  It was an easy meal with oodles of comfort.  

We made a lot more than the recipe said by adding a 250g packet of orzo, 2 cups of frozen peas, an additional 1/2 cup each of cashews and water for the sauce plus a bit of maple syrup and smoked papika to tame the sharp lemony flavour.  Next time I might add a little less lemon juice.  We are very keen to make it again!

It is the time of year when Sylvia begins to plan her Christmas dinner with her dad.  I always have the same meal with my extended family but she likes to explore different ideas.  She has tried cooking some pigs in blankets with vegan sausages wrapped in vegan bacon (secured with a toothpick) for 18-20 min  at 200 C in the air fryer.  She tried a cranberry maple marinade on some which was very nice.

We have been buying more vegan products lately.  Here are a few from the local supermarkets: Sheese shredded cheese (good when melted), Plantein plant based schnitzels (ok but not as good as Sylvia's favourite Fry's schnitzels), Bio cream cheese (ok but a bit oily), Yay plant based feta (nice but a bit oily) and Vitasoy oat yoghurt (not great).  

I am less keen on the commercial processed plant based products, especially the cheeses.  The vegan cheeses seem to be predominately coconut oil which I don't like much.  It is heavy and has less nutritious value than dairy cheese.  I have found that home made vegan cheeses and cheese sauce much better nutritionally because we often add nuts and nooch plus is less processes.  However the market for vegan cheeses seems to continue to grow so there must be people who like it better than me.

We also went to the Brunswick IGA which had a greater range of plant based foods.  Sylvia loved the Otherly chocolate.  The Green Vic "parmesan" and Laud's smoked oat cheese were good in a mac and cheese sauce but not as good by themselves, though Sylvia had some "parmesan" sprinkled on meals.  The Laud's had split peas, oats and cashews so I liked the ingredients list more but it was not great cold.  I was really pleased to find smoked tofu as I have been looking for it and wondering if anyone makes it any more.  Also pictured are tofu nuggets (which had minimal flavouring so weren't so different to firm tofu) and Community co dairy free buttery taste spread which tasted nice but I still have a soft spot for Nuttalex margarine.

Here is a closer look at the Otherly Salted Caramel Oatmilk Chocolate.  It is creamy and smooth with wonderful notes of caramel but is not too sweet or salty.  The chocoate is worth buying for its whimsical illustrations on the packaging.

Another product that we have tried and enjoyed is a jar of pickled red onions.  We added these and the Yay plant based feta to a Pearl couscous, cucumber and feta salad recently.  I had some of the leftovers for lunch when there wasn't much left and also added red cabbage and red capsicum.  It was an excellent lunch.  I am not usually a fan of raw onions but have been enjoying these.

Another way we have been vegan cheese and pickled onions is on pizza using my regular fast track sourdough pizza base.  In the above photo half the pizza is from my dairy cheese pizza with tomato sauce, mushrooms, capsicum, olives, pineapple, pickled onions and a mozzarella melty mix of grated cheese.  Sylvia's pizza had tomato sauce, olives, pickled onions and kale.  Half of hers had Sheesh tasty cheeze and half had Yay plant based feta.  I enjoyed them all.  Sylvia loved her feta versions with none of the adverse effects of eating lactose.

When riding home past Calle Bakery I decided to drop in.  We love their wonderful baking.  I could not resist the amazing pistachio croissant with an oozy creamy crunchy Dubai chocolate filling and a generous blob of melted chocolate that cooled hard.  Sylvia had a cinnamon scroll that was messy with lots of frosting but deliciious.

I also tried the Wallaby Dubai style chocolate squares with a pistachio cream filling and crispy gluten free filo.  It wasn't as impressive and crispy as the Calle croissant filling but was pretty good.  It was interesting to see because it had a gluten free filling because Dubai chocolate is usually uses wheat pastry.  

  

Sylvia had a trip to Lune Bakery, Rose Street Market and Red Sparrow vegan pizzeria.  They returned to our place with a Strawberry matcha croissant (with matcha coconut frangpani, strawberry jam, whipped matcha ganache, freeze dried strawberries, white chocolate shards) and the Turtle ("A pain au chocolat twice-baked with chocolate frangipane, roasted pecans, and salted caramel. Dusted with chocolate powder then finished with dark chocolate ganache, salted caramel sauce, and candied pecans").  I tasted both and they were superb but I am a chocolate lover so I was most impressed with the Turtle.  (And the leftovers lasted well.)

I have written about a lovely afternoon with my family involving gluten free miso grubs (truffles) and a birthday tea for my twin nieces' 21st birthday.  I took this photo later in the evening when I got home.  I brought home some Marks and Spencer Percy Pigs and chocolate wrapped as fruit that my sister had given my mum for me on her visit to Dublin.  I had bought home some birthday cake, grubs, hedgehog and fruit.  Sylvia had made gorgeous collages that we printed up as birthday cards.  Meanwhile she was out with her dad and brought home a goodie bag from the Lara Buchanan gig and jewellery and a cute little house from op shopping. The day was as busy as that photo!

November ended with a crazy day.  We had planned to drop in at a local community market before meeting up with a friend for lunch in the south east of Melbourne.  But she cancelled because she was sick.  The market had such heavy rain it turned to hail.  I was planning to go to look at the new Metro tunnel with Sylvia but it got complicated because she was also keen to have brunch out, it was raining too much to get around without the car but driving the car meant a parking nightmare.  Then she got a last minute message from a FaceBook Marketplace seller to pick up a tiffany lamp in a far suburb of Melbourne.  I finally decided we do the metro tunnel or stay home.  She stayed home and I rode the 5 new metro tunnel stations that opened that day.  (I plan to write more about it.)  I got home and prepared to go grocery shopping but the car battery was flat so instead we wanted for roadside assistance to fix it and went shopping late.  

The photo is of a Metro tunnel celebration newspaper, a celebration lollypop, a string of fabric "tinsel" bought at the market from my friend Kerin of Remaki, the bag of a cookie I had to keep me going in all the walking and stairs and tunnels on the metro line, a tiny mouse and felt pumpkin that Sylvia had bought in Fitzroy the previous day.  So much fun and wonderful stuff!

 
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's url to Sherry by 13th of the month.  Or just head over to her blog to visit more kitchens and her gorgeous hand drawn festive header.  Thanks to Sherry for continuing to host this even that brings together some wonderful bloggers who share glimpses into their kitchens.