Post Office Hotel - Middle Eastern fine dining

It is over a year since we first ate at the Post Office Hotel in Coburg.  I was beginning to think I would never blog about it.  The first visit was ill-timed.  The chef was away so we ate bar food.  We had a lovely meal on the second visit but my camera was missing the memory card.  Finally on our third visit, I have captured some of the amazing Middle Eastern dishes from our Banquet feast.

On our first visit we ate from the bar menu in the stylish but exceedingly quiet dining room.  We had cabbage parcels which were filled with a chickpea filling (if my memory serves me correctly), roasted carrots, marinated mushrooms and battered half moons.  The last item was the most memorable.  Potatoes fried in batter, like fancy potato cakes.  Sylvia loved them.  The menu has changed since then but you can read more in Cindy and Michael's post on their visit around the same time.

This peek into the bar menu demonstrates that this is no ordinary pub grub.  Nor is it the Middle Eastern cuisine that is usually served along the Sydney Road cafe strip.  The chef, Troy Payne, was Greg Malouf's protege.  He brings a creative and modern twist to the dishes.

On our first visit I had a Mojito mocktail and loved it.  I had another on our second visit.  This time the chef was in and the dining room was packed to the rafters.  I was really impressed by the service, especially given that they were busy.  Upon arriving I asked for chips for Sylvia.  They don't usually serve bar food in the dining room but made an exception for a 2 year old.  When the chips came covered in herbs and sauce I said that she would only eat them plain.  They were taken away and a bowl of plain chips was returned to us with no fuss.

When I said I was vegetarian, our waitress was really helpful and suggested a green pea and fig tagine with goats cheese (not on the menu).  We ordered this alongside a baked half butternut pumpkin with a silverbeet, cashew and feta custard in the hollow where the seeds were.  It was topped with a salad of black olive, balsamic molasses, honey and chive dressing.  I found the feta custard really strong but fortunately we also ordered a Baby King Edward potato turlu-turlu.  It was a lovely comforting dish of soft potato chunks with huge green olives.  A great balance of flavours.  I also enjoyed the complimentary bookends to the meal - a starter of cress, chevre and pineut soup in a shot glass and a baklava to finish on a perfect note.

Recently we went there with my mum and dad to celebrate E's citizenship ceremony.  It was not as busy as our second visit and we outstayed most of the patrons.  When he heard we were eating at a pub, my dad had decided to choose the burger.  It was not that sort of hotel.  We all decided to have the four course banquet.

To start Sylvia had a bowl of chips and the rest of us had hot towels (for refreshment not food) and creamy nettle bites on lavash bread.  I enjoyed it but I didn't catch much more details on this wee mouthful.  We don't often go out for such fancy meals.  I wished we had a menu beside us as each course came out.  Without it, I sometimes found it hard to know exactly what we were eating.  Sylvia continuously jumped and hid and pulled at my napkin. 

First Course: Instead of scallops I was served a feta, goats cheese and zucchini fritter with a creamy sauce.  It was deliciously crisp and tasty.

My fritter was accompanied by a terrine of spiced carrot and leek in saffron jelly with homemade peasant cheese puffs.  I was less enthused by this.  Partly because I had to run off after Sylvia and partly because the cheese puffs seemed rather similar to my cheese fritter.  I appreciated the jellied terrine but it wasn't really my sort of thing.

Second Course: Wild mushroom, date and chickpea tagine with stinging nettle-yoghurt whip, katafi crisps, accompanied by Sticky carrot and buttery moghrabieh pilav. I was not at all keen on the tagine.  I guess I am just not that into mushrooms and the sweet dates didn't appeal much either.  The katafi crisps were pretty on top of the tagine and the melt-in-the-mouth strands reminded me a bit of a spun wheat cereal. 

On the other hand the pilav was fantastic.  I've never had these giant couscous balls before but these were just lovely.  Chewy and tasty with just enough vegetables to keep them interesting.  I think I had three helpings (all rather small of course).

Third Course: Cauliflower and feta wrapped in filo with a cream sauce (a vegetarian alternative to the chicken dish) with Wild watercress and marinated figs with walnut dressing and a Creamed leek, currant and black cabbage spelt-otto, garnished with soft herbs.  I loved the cauliflower and feta pie.  This is not a combination I have ever considered for a pie before but it was so good I might just try it at home.  I was less enthused by the salad because I just go limp at too many leaves and no one was that impressed with the spelt risotto.  E thought it too chewy.  I liked it but it was a tad too sweet.

Fourth Course: Dessert tasting plate of cheese of the day, house relish and Turkish petit fours.  When the tasting plate arrived Sylvia lit up with excitment.  I think she had tired of drawing on my mum's notepad and listen to my dad's stories.  Nothing like a handful of pink fairy floss to perk up the evening.  I must say that it was one of the prettiest desserts I have ever had.

The cheese was Pecorino and the relish was a home made quince paste.  The cheese was too strong for me and I needed some crackers to eat with it.  The quince paste was soft and spreadable like a jam.  It was delicious but no match for the cheese.  Beside these were baklava (E's favourite), Turkish delight (quite firm) topped with a Persian fairy floss, grapes, mangosteen and chocolate fondants.  I loved it all.  Even the Mangosteen, which I have never tasted before.  Best of all were the gorgeous chocolate fondants decorated with petals and pistachios.  They were too rich for E.  I was sorry they were more custardy than gooey but the hibiscus infused barberry jam on top of them was amazing.

Overall our banquet was full of interesting food and good value at $55 per head.  While not every dish hit the spot, I really enjoyed trying new foods.  Some bread would have gone done nicely.  By the end, the meal went a tad too long, given that we had a small child and were tired with colds, but I am glad we stayed the distance.  It is a rare treat to go out for such a fancy meal.  A few days after the meal Sylvia told me, "I loved the fairy floss when we goed to the cafe"  Definitely a meal to be remembered fondly.

The Post Office Hotel
231 Sydney Road
Coburg VIC 3058
Tel: (03) 9386 5300
www.thepostofficehotel.com.au/

Lemon and honey cake

Sweet lemon recipes aren't usually my sort of thing.  However when the boughs of our lemon tree were heavy with fruit, I started searching for ideas I might like.  I found a Honey Lemon Cake that appealed with an interesting texture.  I was also aware that the honey and lemon seemed just the thing for the cold that E and I were battling last week. 

It also seemed a nice cake to have in the house when my friend Nicki G came over with her kids.  Those who remember my dislike of the texture of polenta in a chocolate cake may be surprised to hear that this cake had polenta in it, and even more surprised to hear that I loved the texture.  Perhaps it helped that the cake also had ground almonds and dessicated coconut.  I love anything with dessicated coconut.  In fact I think I loved the texture more than the flavour.

It was an unassuming kind of cake - not overly sweet or overly lemony - but was well received.  However the star of the show when Nicki visited was the Chestnut and Pinenut Cake that she baked for the occasion.  It was an impressive creation that I intend to imitate some time.  She left us some and I felt very fancy when Kathleen dropped over for a cuppa on the weekend and I could offer two cakes.

Given that we have a lemon tree, I need recipes for when the tree is bearing fruit.  This cake is one that I will return to.  It was quick, delicious, reasonably healthy and kept well.

I am sending this cake to Laura at How to Cook Good Food who is hosting Ren's Simple and in Season event.

Other recipes from my blog featuring lemons:

• Chickpea, lemon and mint soup
• Citrus Grape Cake (v)
• Lemony Mediterranean Salad
• Lemon Slice
• Tangy Silverbeet (gf, v)

Other recipes from around the interwebs that feature lemons:

• GF Lemon and Poppyseed Cake (with mashed potato) - Lottie's World of Cakes
• Lasagna with Lemon Basil Cheeze - Oh She Glows
• Lemon Barley Water - Taste.com.au
• Lemon semolina and pistachio syrup cake - Italy on my Mind
• Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake - Healthy Green Kitchen
• Pasta with Broccoli, Pecans, Lemon and Feta - Eat Me Delicious
• Sticky Lemon Yoghurt Cake - The Persimmon Tree
• Vegan Avgolemono (Greek Easter Soup with Lemon and Rice) - Choosing Raw

Lemon and Honey Cake
Adapted from Jugalbandi

Dry ingredients:
3/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
lots of grated nutmeg (about 1/3 tsp)

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs, lightly whisked
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
zest of one lemon (ideally about 1.5 tbsps - my lemon yielded a lot less zest)

Coconut, extra for sprinkling

Glaze:
2.5 tbsp lemon juice (I used juice of half a lemon)
1.5 tbsp honey (I used about 2 dessertspoons)

Preheat oven to 200 C or 400F. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Mix together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients separately. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter is quite a runny one. Pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle with extra coconut.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. It is ready when it is turning golden brown, has some fine cracks on top and a skewer comes out cleanly.

When cake is hot, mix lemon juice and honey for the glaze. Drizzle over the top of the hot cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. Ours kept for a week.

On the Stereo:
The Colour of White: Missy Higgins

Healesville Harvest Cafe and The Archibald

On the Queen's Birthday holiday this Monday, the Archibald Prize lured us to Healesville.  E drove through winding foggy roads with Kraut Rock on the stereo while I knitted and Sylvia sang "London Bridge is Falling Down". We arrived in Healesville for a spot of lunch before heading out to Tarrawarra Gallery.

My first choice, from my online research, was Mocha and Lime.  We found it cosy and crowded.  No room for us.  This was the first inkling of what an impact the Archibald Prize has on the town.  We wandered onwards and decided Healesville Harvest was worth a try.  It is the more casual cousin of the Healesville Hotel. It was busy but there was space for us.

Brightly lit, it feels fresh and contemporary.  One wall is filled with shelves of upmarket groceries and a large refrigerated display cabinet .  We seated ourselves at one of the old wooden tables of varying sizes.  I queued to place our order.  As I stood viewing the sandwiches, fritatta and salads on offer, I worried that I could see nothing plain enough for Sylvia. 

The woman in front of me started telling me how good the salad was and we struck up a conversation.  She worked at the gallery where we were headed.  Apparently when the Archibald Prize finalists were displayed in Melbourne city years ago it wasn't as popular as it has been in the beautiful surroundings of Healesville.  She also advised that we could order chips from the Healesville Hotel bar if we sat outside between the bar and the Harvest cafe. 

It was too cold to fancy sitting outside in the pleasant beer garden.  It would be lovely in milder weather.  Instead of bar food, I was relieved to find a plain croissant for Sylvia.  E had a ham and cheese toastie.  I took my new friend's recommendation and ordered the spinach and cheese borek with tzaziki and salad, plus a small serving of the sweet potato, silverbeet, chickpea, avocado, and spiced nut salad.  I would have loved some good bread rolls to order with a selection of salads.  The cauliflower salad and grain salad also looked wonderful.

When my meal arrived, my joy at the salad was overshadowed by my disappointment at how little of it my $9 bought me.  All was forgiven because the salad was just so so so good.  Fresh and tasty and full of different textures and flavours.  E also thought his toastie was pricey at $10 but conceded it was rather good.  Sylvia was very pleased with her croissant.  I thought they might have heated it but at least it had some good raspberry jam with it.

We then headed off to the shops to do our bit for the local economy.  Sylvia got a green bird and some pink erasers that she promptly lost.  E bought a horror novel at one of the op shops.  I couldn't resist the fancy goods at the Kitchen and Butcher shop next door to the Healesville Harvest (yet another cousin in the Harvest family).  I bought nigella seeds because I was excited to see they stocked Herbies spices.  I also had to have the wild garlic salt because I am really into flavoured salts lately.  Sylvia chose the packet of "Toffee Apples" - dried apple drizzled with toffee.  I might not have agreed to buy the toffee apples if I had known it was over $15 but they are delicious.

We cut our shopping short to head out to the TarraWarra Museum of Art to view the Archibald Prize finalists.  The gallery is a modern building sitting atop the ridge of a vineyard.  As we arrived, a gentle autumnal sun lit the landscape, glowing warmly on the honey coloured walls of of the gallery.  Spectacular views of rows of vines and mountains greeted us when gazing out from the archways or the generous windows.

We took it in turns to view the artwork and mind Sylvia.  The Archibald Prize is Australia's most prestigious portrait painting prize.  It has a high profile in the mainstream media here.  Yet there is nothing like being there.  I loved seeing the vast canvases, standing close, standing back, noticing each brush stroke, reading the notes.  Then Sylvia would insist we went to see the big bad wolf or Tiny Tim yet again.  I loved so many of the portraits that it was hard to pick a favourite.  The exhibition is on until 8 July 2012.  I highly recommend it.

Healesville Harvest
256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville
03 5962 4002
http://www.yarravalleyharvest.com.au/

Oat and honey bread, and a malted bread

Recently I have been smitten with oats in bread baking.  I have tried three quite different recipes.  The first was a Granary Loaf that Sylvia didn't like due to all the seeds.  Then I tried a No Knead Oat Bread that E thought too dense.  Finally I baked  my favourite Chia olive oil bread with some oats added.  It was just right and everyone loved it.

I quite fancied the Granary Loaf at Mealtime Meltdown.   However I've never found granary flour here.  A quick search on the web made me decide to use wholemeal flour and a little malt extract.  I tweaked the recipe and was pleased with the results.  The bread (see above and below) was lovely with a delicious crust.  Below is the recipe I used but it could use a little work.  However I don't imagine I will make it much more in the short term because Sylvia wont eat bread with all the seeds.

Then I found a note in a blog post from a few years back saying that I had been making a no knead oat and honey bread.  I never recorded it.  What a fool!  Now I don't have a clue where it was and I really had a yen to make it.  A web search threw up the King Arthur No Knead Oat Bread.  It was as close as I could find. 

I tweaked it considerably and I am blogging the version I have arrived at after three attempts.  I have used olive oil instead of butter, and honey instead of brown sugar, and added chia seeds.  My main problem is that it is rather sweet.  I've tried 3 tablespoons of honey at first and then reduced it.  I tried more salt but that bread (top photo) was really dense and I wondered if the salt had retarded the rising.  My other dissatisfaction was not having an appropriate sized baking dish.  The above square dish seemed wrong and my Le Creusset French oven seems too big.

The second time I made the bread, I decided I must have a better baking dish.  I let it rise overnight and the next morning I headed out for the shops to buy a new dish.  I was pleased to find a stoneware for $30 at a local shop.  (I consulted Jim Lahey's book on his No-Knead Method - which I highly recommend - and he said more expensive dishes weren't necessarily better.)  It is still slightly too wide but is a great improvement.  I think I need to try Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread again with this new dish.

One reason that I love no-knead bread is that they are so forgiving of my lifestyle.  It took me a while to finish my shopping and get home after buying a new dish.  On the way home, Sylvia scraped her finger on a fence so a bandaid had to take a higher priority than bread upon stepping through the front door.  Once the dough was rising in the baking dish, we returned over the street to have Sylvia's hair cut and get photos developed.

While the bread cooked, we visited the neighbours and went for a bike ride.  I was bringing in washing when the buzzer went off to say the bread was ready to come out so I didn't take it out immediately.  I guess that is also a benefit of a slow oven.  This is not a quick bread.  The third time I made the bread, I started at 10.30 in the morning and it came out of the oven at 11.30pm.  It is delicious and very dense with a nubbly texture that keeps well for a few days.  It slices easily and made lovely sandwiches.

I love both these breads but they haven't been so great for all the household.  So I returned to Chia olive oil bread that I have made many times.  Of the 600g of flour, I used 400g bread flour, 100g wholemeal flour and 100g rolled oats.  It worked really well and was lighter than when I have added wholemeal flour.  No photo but I think you might see it in the background in the future as this seems the one that suits everyone.

I am sending this post to Susan at YeastSpotting, the weekly round up of yeasty recipes in the blogosphere. 

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: CC Spicy Chai Tea
Two years ago: Chocolate custard crumble
Three years ago: Banana, cranberry and raspberry smoothie
Four years ago: Split Pea Soup goes Asian
Five years ago: Nubbly Bread and Hearty German Soup

No Knead Oat and Honey Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

4 cups white bread flour
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
2 1/4 cups cold water 
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix dry ingredients well and add water, honey and olive oil.  Mix thoroughly to make a sticky dough.  I put my hands in the bowl to mix it (which seems like kneading and makes me question if this is really no knead bread). 

Cover with cling wrap and leave for at least 8 hours.  Below is dough I left overnight for 8 hours.

The recipe said that it will become bubbly and rise quite a bit.  Mine rose but I don't think it really became bubbly - just remained stony faced!  Below is the dough after leaving it another few hours. 

Once the dough is risen, tip it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.  The dough will deflate slightly when handled but the air is not punched or kneaded out of it.  Place in a well greased cast iron or stoneware baking dish with a lid - preferably an oval one. 

Leave to rise for at least an hour - the one below was left for over 2 hours.  It should be puffy and risen.  During this time preheat oven to 220 C.

Bake for 50 minutes with the lid on and then another 10 minutes with the lid off.  The recipe said to test it with a thermometer in the middle of the bread but I don't have such a thing so I just rely on it smelling cooked, sounding hollow when tapped and looking a deep golden brown.  I left my most recent loaf in the oven longer when it was only a light golden brown at the end of the baking.

Remove from baking dish.  (NB Two out of three times I have found it sticking to the pot slightly and have had to prise it out.)  Cool on a wire rack and leave at least an hour before slicing and enjoying!

Malted Oat Bread

Adapted from Mealtime Meltdown

400ml warm water

2 tbsp malt extract

1 tsp dried yeast

2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1-2 tsp for kneading

285g white flour

275g wholemeal flour

50g wheatgerm

55g rolled oats, plus extra

50g mix of sesame, poppy and linseeds

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp salt

Mix water, malt extract and dried yeast plus a handful of the flour.  Leave for 15-20 minutes until it looks foamy and/or creamy (ie there are indications the yeast is alive and kicking.)  Add remaining ingredients.  Knead for about 10 minutes (I think I did a bit less) on a lightly oiled surface, adding more oil if the dough becomes too sticky.

Leave covered in a warm place to double in size (suggested time in 1 1/2 hours.  It took me over 3 hours the second time because the house was so cold and the dough actually developed a bit of a crust - not ideal.)

Knead briefly and place in a lightly oiled bread tin (or on a lightly oiled baking tray).  Sprinkle with extra oats.  Leave to rise for about another hour.  Bake at 220 C for 35 minutes.  (I did this at 230 C to make amends for my oven.)  It is ready when it sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool on a wire rack and leave an hour before cutting.

On the stereo:
The Original Music From ABC-TV's Dark Shadows

MLLA Minestrone and some vegetarian reflections

Every now and again I notice a gap in my recipe index.  Something that I make a lot but have never posted.  I love a big pot of minestrone on the stove.  It is a simple matter of throwing together lots of vegetables and pasta in a tomato sauce.  Easy, cheap, healthy.  What's not to love!

Once I started to make it last week I started questioning this version.  I found that every time I make it, I make it slightly differently.  So this is not the definitive version.  There isn't one.  It is however fairly representative of the types of minestrone I make and love.

Variations that I quite often make include tinned tomatoes instead of passata; other vegetables such as green beans, capsicum, zucchini, potato or even marinated vegetables; bayleaves and other Italian herbs (I used homemade stock that I know had herbs from the garden); ravioli instead of plainer pasta; spinach or kale instead of silverbeet; kidney beans, chickpeas or lima beans instead of cannelini or borlotti beans.  The list is endless.

I made this minestrone to eat with the Cheese and onion beer bread on the weekend.  It was easy enough to chop the vegetables while Sylvia had her bath.  (Dash out to the back garden for a handful of silverbeet.)  Let it simmer while I dried her and dressed in her pyjamas.  Once she was in bed, E and I sat down with a bowlful of stew.  We were left with plenty for a few lunches and a quick dinner during the week.

Lastly here are a couple of vegetarian reflections:

• The Age newspaper had an article on 4 June about a Vegetarian diet.  It is is reasonably positive but has an odd title: The Terrors of Tofu: the Real Risks of Turning Vegetarian.  (Thanks to  EssMick for the link.)  I was surprised that it advises people that they should talk to their doctor when they turn vegetarian.  Do people do this?  I don't think I did but I read about nutrition and spoke to friends who were vegetarian.
• I was really pleased to talk to a Queen Vic Market Stallholder at one of the cheese counters (the one near the door to the fruit and veg aisle that sells lots of butter) and find that they not only have quite a few vegetarian cheeses but they also label them so I don't need to keep asking questions.
• On our recent visit to the vet, he said he didn't know why people fed cats foods that simulated meat when you could feed them meat.  I said I was a vegetarian and understood why anyone might eat mock meat.  The nice thing was that he got it once I said it.
• Most days when Sylvia has been at child care and I ask what she had for lunch, she tells me (with glee) "vegetarian meat".  I think  it is a vegetarian schnitzel but when I ask the child care workers they tell me she only has that occasionally.

I am sending this to My Legume Love Affair (#48), founded by Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook and hosted by Valerie of A Canadian Foodie this month.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Maple scones and trash and treasure
Two years ago: Advice for Gluten Free beginners and kids
Three years ago: GF Apricot and Cranberry Cake
Four years ago: Polenta Quinoa Sticks with Rhubarb Sauce
Five years ago: Kraut Rock Cupcakes

Minestrone
serves about 6

Slurp of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
3-4 garlic bulbs, finely chopped
1/8 cabbage, diced
2 cups vegetable stock
2 and 1/2 cups water
700ml passata (pureed tomatoes or can used tinned tomatoes)
2 x 400g tins of beans (I used cannelini and borlotti)
handful of silverbeet, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 and 1/2 cups small pasta pieces
black pepper, freshly ground
pesto, torn basil or grated parmesan, to serve

Heat olive oil in stockpot.  Chop vegetables in that order that they appear in the ingredients list and as they are ready throw them in the pot, stirring occasionally.  Once the cabbage is added, stir for another 5 or so minutes.  Add stock, water, passata, beans, silverbeet, red wine and salt.  Check seasoning and add more salt if necessary (it will depend on your stock).  Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add pasta and simmer for another 25 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Add black pepper.  Check and adjust seasoning again.  Serve with basil, pesto or parmesan.

On the Stereo:
The Essential Klaus Schulze 72-93

Cafe Lua - inner city charm

Cafe Lua is conveniently situated near Lord Uke.  Hence we have had couple of cafe and ukelele visits to this neck of the woods this year.  It is one of E's favourite places.  While I don't rate it quite as highly, I am happy to keep going back.

Let me start with a few observations.  The ambience is bright and welcoming.  Lots of retro laminex tables, old kitchen cannisters and hessian bags on the walls as well as a space for art work.  While they have plenty of vegetarian dishes, it seems unusual that they have gluten free dishes marked on the menu but not vegetarian or vegan.  Parking is a nightmare around this place unless you go to the Lygon Court carpark.  The service is pleasant.

There is not much space for a pram but I noticed a neighbouring table had a highchair at our recent visit.  I have visited a couple of times when it was really busy and once when it was fairly quiet.  When quiet there was enough room for Sylvia to run about.  When busy, we serendipitously had a stack of golden books and a wee rabbit on our table to keep Sylvia amused.  On both visits Sylvia has been pleased with some a very nice fruit bread with cheese on the side.

My first visit was on a work lunchtime (after seeing Cindy and Michael write about it).  I have written about it here but I thought I would mention it again to help you keep up.  I had a pumpkin chia pancake.  It didn't live up to my expectations but still delighted me that they would experiment with chia in this way.  The yoghurt lentil and spinach salad was too creamy for me but, again, an interesting savoury offering.

I was interested at a smoothie with hazelnut milk and basil - as well as regular banana and strawberry.  It was quite floral, which I assume is the basil asserting itself.  My main problem though is that I make smoothies with lots of fruit and always find them too milky when eating out.

The second time was a visit with E and Sylvia (and dolly).  I really really wanted to try the pancakes with banana, pecans and caramel sauce.  So I chose a spinach and feta savoury pastry.  Quite nice and crispy on the outside once I had sent it back due to a cold middle.  The pancakes were the main event.  As seems to be the way they cook pancakes at Cafe Lua, they were soft rather than fluffy (and I think they were gluten free).  The bananas were a bit ripe for me and the pecans were not quite right but the caramel sauce was fantastic.  I could have just eating the pancakes and sauce and been very happy!

Most recently I really wanted to try the corn cakes but I was told that they would not change dishes when it was busy.  I was surprised.  Not eating meat and disliking eggs, means that I often ask for changes in breakfast dishes.  Most places are fine with that.  E eats everything.  He chose the corn cakes so at least I could taste a corner.  They come with bacon, poached egg, avocado, roasted tomatoes and coriander.  He raved about it.  The corn cakes were nice, though quite soft inside.  E also ordered some hash browns on the side to share.  (I don't usually include meat photos but I wanted a photo of the corn cakes.)

Instead of the corn cakes I ordered the smashed avocado on sourdough with feta and lemon.  I also ordered some tomato on the side.  It was lovely.  The feta seemed a bit strong after eating almond feta at home but there was heaps of creamy avocado and the lemon finished it off nicely.  I would have loved it even more if not feeling a bit disappointed about not having my first choice.

After our meal, E and I were talking about what else we might order from the menu.  I want to try the home made baked beans with some of the side dishes.  He might try the big brekky.  Sylvia will probably have the fruit bread and cheese.  Though she might prefer some of the caramel pecan bars that she was eyeballing as I paid the bill.  No doubt we will enjoy more visits there.

Cafe Lua
Corner of Elgin & Drummond Streets, Carlton (Map)
Tel 03 9348 1118
Open: Mon–Fri: 7am–4pm, Sat–Sun: 8.30am–4.30pm
http://cafelua.com/

Cheese and onion beer bread, British memories, British recipes

I've been dreaming of baking something amazing for the Queen's Jubilee.  Layer cakes decorated with Union Jacks and bunting.  Victoria Sponge. Battenberg cake. Chelsea buns.  Butterfly cakes, scones and cucumber sandwiches on my tiered cake stand.  Just dreaming.  Instead I made a very simple beer bread flavoured with cheese and onion.  As British as Black Cabs, Bowler Hats and Bulldogs.  E was not sure the bread was appropriate but I think one of the great things about the Jubilee is the opportunity to celebrate all things British.

I have mixed feelings about the British royal family.  I believe that Australia should be a republic.  E and his family have always been staunch royal supporters and as I grow older I appreciate the history behind all the traditions.  So rather than talking about the royals I am sharing a few memories and photos of my travels in Great Britain, mainly featuring England. 

I first spent a few weeks in a London pub with my younger sister Fran who was working there.  I later returned on a working holiday visa.  I loved London.  Arriving in London from Australia, I was agog at seeing streets and stations that hitherto had just been a Monopoly Board to me.  Westminster Abbey, The Geffrye Museum and The British Museum were among my favourite places.

I was surprised at how emotional I found the gates of Buckingham Palace (above) where so many significant historical moments had been celebrated.  In hindsight I regret not doing a tour of the Palace but I was young, defiant and refused to spend my limited pennies in this way.  I did visit other royal sites such as Hampton Court and the Tower of London.  I was more interested in following in the footsteps of the Bloomsbury Group.  The artwork at Charleston Farmhouse (below) is the sort of decor I would love.

While I loved sightseeing on weekends and working at the BBC website, I never settled and itched to get out of the big city.  I loved visiting the castles, historic houses and ruins.  I travelled across quite a bit of England and Wales before ending up in Edinburgh (but that is another story).  A road trip with my mum and dad, a trip to Wales to see Pulp with a workmate and a trip to Knole House with a friend from Australia are all memorable.  In fact, the last was the only time I have ever had a train pass the station, realise it had missed us and then back up to let us get  on board.

My first impressions of England were with Fran.  She had some funny rules about photographs.  I was told  I had to get photos of telephone boxes.  I wonder if the above telephone box is still there.  (I think it is in Cornwall).  I am very fond of the gentle green British countryside.  Like London, the names all seem familiar.

I was pleased to eat Wensleydale cheese on the Wensley Dale and a Devonshire tea in Devon.  I also fell in love with Cranks vegetarian restaurant in London and the vegetarian burger at Burger King.  Both are sadly no longer but if anyone has the recipe for the amazing Cranks sausage rolls I would be ever so grateful.

Before I left Australia, I heard how terrible the food was in the UK. We in Melbourne are very proud of our cafes.  What I found in the UK was that people were far nicer to vegetarians.  Pubs offered ploughman's lunches, burgers and lasagna that I could eat.  After living in the UK for a few years, I understood the Aussie attitudes.  Eating out meant that I could always have some vegetarian options but eating at home meant more ready meals and less fresh fruit and vegetables.

At least there was always Greggs Bakery.  No matter where I travelled I usually encountered a Greggs.  One of the standard items to which I was very partial were the cheese and onion pasties.  I also loved the Real McCoy's cheese and onion crisps.   This was a flavour combination that I didn't find at home very often.  It seems perfect for a nation that excels in cheeses but doesn't do so well with vegetables.

As well as being told to be wary of the food, I was told that the beer in Britain was different.  Naively I went into a pub in Oxford, soon after arriving on my first trip, and asked for a beer.  The bartender asked which beer.  I drew a blank.  The only beers I ever drank were Fosters or VB.  Cold fizzy lagers.  This was before Fosters world domination, before the advent of boutique beers and before beer companies diversified.  It was a most embarrassing moment.

I don't drink beer much these days and am still not very wise about different types.  I almost wish I did, just so I could collect beer labels.  They are just so artistic and amusing these days.  I decided to make this beer bread when my computer was down weeks ago.  I couldn't find a favourite recipe in my cookbooks but found another one and decided to add fried onion, roast potato and red leicester cheese.  It was a bit dense as I miscalculated the beer and the baking powder, the potatoes didn't add anything but stodge, and it needed salt.

I decided to try again and tweak the recipe.  It was an opportunity to buy another bottle of beer with an entertaining label.  Fittingly the Hobgoblin beer is from Oxfordshire in England.  It is far darker stronger stout (the label says it has chocolate and toffee tones) than the Abbey Ale I used in the first version but both work well in the beer bread.

I had first bought the red leicester cheese at the Vic Market but then I found it in the supermarket.  It is a rare treat for us.  E found it very pleasing.  Sylvia said it tasted like medicine.  I asked her if it was good or bad and she said good.  She seems to enjoy it.

I dithered and dillied over making the bread, stopping to help Sylvia make sea monster arms for dolly and help her find beads on the floor and watch her swimming in the bath.  I probably stopped and stared into space too.  This time the dough felt better and I was happier with my loaf of bread.  It was craggy, dense, tasty and dotted with sweet nuggets of fried onion.

Once the bread was baked, there was only one thing to do before eating it for dinner with minestrone.  Find some British paraphernalia to photograph with it.  You would think with the amount of time I have spent in the UK that I would have some things.  Nothing to be found.  The only Union Jacks in the house are on the Fortunately E has a Jubilee tea towel and I found a little soldier egg cup.  Then I remember my blue, red and white plate.  More mod than monarchical, it wasn't a Union Jack but it would have to do.

Now that I have celebrated the Jubilee, can we please have an extra days leave in Australia when we have our Queens Birthday holiday next weekend? (Or maybe we need to do away with our Queens Birthday Holiday and celebrate Mabo Day instead - today is 20 years since since the Mabo High Court decision!)  Below I finally celebrate the poetry, profusion and occasional pomp of British food with some links:

More British recipes from my blog:
Bangers and mash | Gravy | Haggis | Nut roast | Pea soup | Pasties | Roast potatoes | Rumbledethumps | Shepherd’s pie | Welsh rarebit | Yorkshire puddings | Worcestershire sauce | Bread and butter pudding | Flapjacks | Parkin | Porridge | Rice pudding | Scones

More British recipes from elsewhere:
Breakfast fry up | Bubble and squeak | Canal Floddies | Crumpets | Faggots | Mushy peas | Toad in the hole | Battenberg cake | Chelsea buns  | Digestive biscuits | Jaffa cakes | Eton mess | Jam roly poly | Rhubarb and custard | Spotted dick | Summer pudding | Treacle tart | Victoria sponge

Also see my Jubilee and UK Food Pinterest Board for more ideas.

Cheese and Onion Beer Bread

1 tsp oil
1 onion, chopped
100g cheese (red Leicester), grated
2 cups Self Raising white flour
2 cups plain wholemeal flour
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 and 3/4 cups (435ml) beer*

Fry onion in oil until browned with some charring around the edges.  I think I took about 20 minutes starting on low heat while I did other things and then I turned the heat up when I got impatient.  Mix fried onion with other dry ingredients.  Add beer and mix until you have a stickyish dough.  Briefly knead on a floured board.  Place in a greased and lined loaf tin (as I did) or on a baking tray.  Bake at 200 C for about 50 minutes (I baked mine at 210 because my oven's thermostat is a bit dodgy).

* NOTE: Beer bread recipes seem to be made for a standard bottle of beer to be poured in but I find that bottles are not such a standard size any more.  When I first made this I added a 300ml bottle of beer and then topped it up with water.  The second time I had a 500ml bottle and had to measure it with cup measures and scrape the foaming head off to check I had enough beer.

On the stereo:
Son of Evil Reindeer: Reindeer Selection