open to new experiences

in 2017, it would be good to try a new cheap eatery once a week

here are a few to try ...

Spiral Beans 539 Plenty Road, Preston	NORTH Japanese Yin Yang cooking V, GF, raw, local Mon-Fri 8am-3pm Sat & Sun  9am-4pm Dinner Tues-Sun 5.30-9.30pm
Laksa King 6-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington	WEST Malaysian laksa and hawker style Only closed Christmas Day Happy Hour 5-6.30pm
Wonderbao  4/19-37 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne	CBD Taiwanese bao - steamed bun Fried silky tofu gua bao
Martha Ray's 85 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy	inner NORTH Casual cafe fare eg Breakfast Roll Omelette with Donati’s Streaky Bacon and our House Made Tomato Pickle, Or Vegetarian Style
The Grand Trailer Park Taverna  87 Bourke St, Melbourne	CBD American burgers
Radio Mexico 2A Mitchell Street, Northcote	NORTH Fresh Mexican
Thaiger Shop 16, The Walk Arcade 8 Causeway Lane	CBD Thai style burgers "POU-NIM" BLACK BURGER Crispy softshell crab, granny smith Asian slaw, caramelised onion, capsicum, lettuce, Thaiger Mayo and tangy dressing
GAMI chicken & beer 100 Lt Lonsdale Street, Melbourne / Shop G, 535 Lt. Lonsdale St (Healey's Lane), Melbourne 370 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 78A Acland Street, St Kilda 840 Glenferrie Road. Hawthorn	CBD NORTH EAST SOUTH Korean style fried chicken
The Dojo Ramen Bar 333 High Street, Northcote	NORTH Ramen, & tempura JFC- famous recipe karaage fried chicken  Tempura Butterfly tiger prawns/Seasonal vegetables
Göz City 50 Lonsdale Street (Madame Brussels Lane), Melbourne	CBD Gozleme
Moroccan Soup Bar 183 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy - also Moroccan Deli-cacy, 313 Lygon St, Brunswick East	inner NORTH soup - vegetarian no alcohol on site
Jinda Thai 1-7 Ferguson St, Abbotsford	inner EAST Thai including pork meat balls - a secret family recipe - with a pepper and garlic sauce food is great, service not so much - visit when relaxed and happy
Delhi Streets 22 Katherine Place, Melbourne	CBD Indian street food
Hawker Hall 98 Chapel St, Windsor	SOUTH Malaysian and Singapore style hawker market dishes
Jemima's Southern Fried Chicken 202 High Street, Northcote	NORTH southern fried chicken! delivery available but better to walk up the hill and back
Otsumami 257 High St, Northcote	NORTH Kani-age - deep fried soft shell crab marinated in soy, mirin, ginger & garlic the gyoza are good too
HuTong Dumpling Bar 14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne	CBD Chinese dumplings
Babajan 713 Nicholson Street, Carlton North	inner NORTH Turkish cuisine   Breakfasts include Almond Keskul (pudding) with cranberry and almond granola, seasonal berries and Trout Spanakopita. Lunch includes BBQ Lamb Kofte with white bean piyaz salata (and many of the breakfast items). There are also "Ottolenghi-esque" salads at the counter
Dr Morse Bar & Eatery 274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford	inner EAST fancy pub food sustainably sourced, and there's a big beer garden
The Moor’s Head Rear 744 High Street, Thornbury	NORTH "inauthentic" (Middlie Eastern pizza)
Green Refectory 115 Sydney Road Brunswick	NORTHWEST cafe, with all day breakfast and comfort food The "'breakfast stack' is bacon, tomato and haloumi topped with spinach, basil and a poached egg all piled on top of potato patty the size of a cloud and surrounded by a moat of tomato relish that tastes like it was preserved by people who've been living off the grid for decades" (The Thousands) They also have a selection of freshly baked cakes, including pavlova
Loop Roof Level 3, 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne	CBD standard bar food - sliders, chips, popcorn oysters ... all with a view
Simply Spanish 116 Cecil St, South Melbourne (South Melbourne market)	SOUTH best paella in Melbourne (and the non-Spanish world, September 2016)
Sourdough Kitchen 172 Victoria Street, Seddon	WEST bakery specialising in sourdough breads (and croissants), pastries, sausage rolls, pies, plum jam donuts
Olympic Doughnuts 51 Irving St, Footscray (Footscray Station)	WEST hot jam doughnuts have been sold by Nick Tsiligiris from his iconic van since 1979.
Cornershop 9 Ballarat Street, Yarraville	WEST across the street from the Sun Theatre, and they serve ricotta hotcakes!
xx xx
xx xx
xx xx

feeding the soul, nourishing the body

i am reading a book about how modern diets are akin to starvation - we put lots of food in our mouths, but much of this food is stripped of nutrients so what goes in are empty calories we store as fat, but the body still thinks it's starving.

how to give the body the nourishment it needs:

• 2 tsps flaxseed oil in the morning with yoghurt; take vitamin E with omega-3 to eliminate toxins
• essential protein - organic grass-fed beef, lamb (served medium at most), organic free-range chicken, cold-water fish
  t.o.m.s. (the organic meat specialist) at the south melbourne markets has


• cherry tree downs organic [& grass fed!] beef & lamb - tarwin lower, west gippsland
• inglewood farms organic poultry - toowoomba, qld, a leader in the industry
• enviroganic organic poultry - just outside young, nsw
• free-range egg farmers
  
• see also the ethical consumer guide (spreadsheet) for other suppliers/retailers
• soul food - article about ethical producers
  
• essential sugars - you can get what you need from "live" fruit and vegetables, which i'm guessing means produce that is seasonal and hasn't been in cold storage for ages. better still if organic, even better if it's straight out of your own garden patch!
• have magnesium
• eat the sun (and vitamin d)
• • omega-3 tablets
  • powdered goat/sheep whey – unflavoured, unsweetened
  • plant based digestive enzymes, [GNLD, GHT active digestive enzymes with probiotics], probiotics – take on an empty stomach
  • magnesium tablets
    
  • drink at least 2 glasses of water in the morning, and before bed, and keep drinking during the day. If you think you’re hungry, drink water – you’re probably thirsty

some recipes

chocolate chip bikkies

my favourite biscuit ever is chips ahoy

(an interesting case study here, chips ahoy vs oreos)

p thinks i should only eat biscuits if i bake them myself (which is fine because i had this thought at least 7 years ago but had noone to hassle me about it)

i had a disaster with the first batch, this recipe may be better, link through here

in situ

there's a new book out,

a place in the sun, architecture designed for australia and new zealand

by stuart harrison, one of the blokes from the architects radio show

the piece in design files includes a link to HAW architects with this kooky xmas card

also a talk fest photo including shelley penn - i clicked on her name wondering where it would take me, a page with an article by her, linking housing affordability with sustainability

one of the interview questions was where was his best meal, answer: Rose Garden BBQ Shop

Other peoples food blogs

The Ethicurian
sustainable responsible eating


Everybody likes sandwiches - recipe index



Asti's recipe card blog

food

http://www.asm.org.au/lifestyle/recipes/#salads

blood is sweeter than water

i have had diabetes since just before turning 17, which means i've had diabetes 24 years

in many ways i'm no smarter with it than when i was first diagnosed

support at the royal women's may just help (i hope*)

when i was first diagnosed everything was about "exchanges" - i could eat so many exchanges per meal, per day and this was matched by the insulin i was to give myself

things became more free-style 5 or 6 years later, when i started using insulin pens. this meant that i no longer had to stick to an exchange regime

but i kind of missed the point - i didn't "match" food to insulin, i let them chase each other up and down, sometimes way up, way down

well, now i have to understand exchanges again, so i can understand how my body responds to certain (amounts of) food and how much insulin i need to get me in the zone of good blood control

healthy eating (diabetes vic)

Carbohydrate Counter: Traffic Light Guide to Food (carry around guide book, detailed list for shopping & eating out)

calorie king - recommended by jane at the women's as a good resource for calorie counting

low carb bikkie recipes, because who are we kidding?

winter soups

cauliflower and potato soup and bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

250g 97% fat-free bacon, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 leeks, halved, washed, thinly sliced

1/4 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets

500g Sebago or Desiree potatoes, peeled, diced

6 cups reduced-salt chicken stock

1/4 cup light thickened cream

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic and leek to pan. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, potato and stock. Partially cover. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in half the bacon.
Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. Return to saucepan over low heat. Stir in cream. Heat, without boiling, until hot. Ladle into bowls. Top with remaining bacon. Sprinkle with pepper.

potato & leek soup

• 3 large leeks
• 50g butter
• 500g (about three) floury potatoes
• 1-2 parmesan rinds
• 1½ litres water
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

The parmesan gives this soup a creamy, cheesy flavour. You'll never throw out the end bits of cheese again.
Cut the dark green ends from the leeks, trim the bases and discard. Slice the white part of the leek in half lengthways, then rinse well to dislodge any dirt or grit. Drain on a tea towel, then slice thinly. Heat butter in a large heavy-based pot, add the leeks and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until tender. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to pot and cook for a further five minutes, allowing them to soak up the flavours. Add cheese rind and water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove cheese rinds and discard. Puree soup with a stick blender. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Place prosciutto under a grill or in a pan and cook until crispy. Crumble into rough shards, scatter over the soup with parsley and serve. Makes about 1½ litres

giving em curry

pumpkin curry - dahl

(the age/smh, epicure, may 2010, cuisine.com.au)

• 200ml olive oil, plus a little for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 2 medium brown onions, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 20 curry leaves
• 200g red lentils
• 800g whole peeled tomatoes
• 400ml veggie stock or water
• 200ml coconut cream
  

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Place pumpkin on a roasting tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, season and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked. Remove and keep warm. Heat remaining oil and fry seasoned onion, garlic, ginger, spices, bay and curry leaves until golden and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes and stock and simmer until lentils are soft. Add coconut cream and check seasoning. Pour curry over pumpkin wedges and serve with rice.

of food and love

i must start loving myself and loving food in a good way
loving it's nourishingness and delicious freshness

here are some blogs by food lovers (not food crammers or food gorgers)
la buona cucina
a blog about food, family and love,
mmm, and italian sausages & peppers

allotment 2 kitchen
which has wholesomeness and goodness, and a recipe for bean, feta, mint and pea frittata ... mmm

more-ish food

there's yummy food out there for the making,

• cuisine.com.au - linked from the age
• good enough to eat - show on channel 31
• cook & the chef
• delicious magazine - also links to other sites
• jamie oliver
• diabetes australia - other recipes ok for diabetics

low gi snackerals

recipes from some us site so measurements might be weird...

Banana Oat Bran Muffins
2 c oat bran
1 c whole-wheat flour
4 t baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp canola oil
3 T honey1 t vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup blueberries
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups or grease 6 jumbo muffin tin. In a large bowl, combine the oat bran, flour, baking soda and salt. Mash the bananas with the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla until smooth. Add the buttermilk and combine well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones along with the berries; stir until just combined, but not over-mixed. Fill the cups 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes
************************************************** *****
Yummy Bliss Balls
1 cup puffed rice
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup almond meal
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup carob powder
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup tahini
Blend all dry ingredients in food processor. Gradually add tahini and honey. Roll in extra coconut. Feel free to change any quantities to suit your taste. If you want them chunkier add the sunflower seeds (or some of them) at the end so they don't all get chopped up. Enjoy!
**************************************************
Cashew Butter cookies
1 1/2 Cups Oats
1/2 Cup Cashew butter (or other nut butter as preferred - hazelnut's good!)
1/2 Cup Honey
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Wheatgerm
MIX the cashew butter and the honey in a large bowl. ADD the oats and the cinnamon and combine well. TAKE small amounts of the mixture and make into circles about 1 cm thick and 4 cms in diameter. ROLL each one in wheatgerm, place on a greased tray and cook at 160c for about 12 minutesCOOL on baking rack
************************************************
No-bake cookies (makes about 16)
1 1/4 Cups Almonds
12 Dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 Cup Dark chocolate chips
1/4 Cup Desiccated Coconut
1/4 Cup Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Linseeds
2 Tbsp Tahini Paste
1/4 Cup Pear Juice
Put all the first 5 “dry mix” ingredients into a food processor. Process everything together until approximately half the mixture is in small pieces and the other half is processed a little more, to a fine consistency. Add honey, linseeds and tahini paste to mix, process until just combined. Then add pear juice and mix through. Roll the final mixture between 2 sheets of baking paper, until it is about 1cm (0.4 inch) thick. Cut into squares or rounds with a cookie cutter. Place into an airtight container and chill until required.
**************************************
Sunflower & Linseed snaps
To make these gluten free, use millet flakes in place of the rolled oats
1 1/2 Cups Oats
1/2 Cup Linseeds
1/2 Cup Tahini Paste
1/2 Cup Honey
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a greased baking tray with baking paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, make golf ball sized balls out of the mixture and place on prepared tray. Be sure to leave enough space between each ball, and press each down with a fork. Cook for 20 minutes, and allow to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes to harden slightly.