Chipotle-brushed potato tian

December 25, 2021

   

I chose an artichoke and chickpea salad to eat on the side of our pumpkin and feta filo pie. I knew this would be enough food for us, really, but I thought it would be fun to make a potato side as well (and skip the potato cubes that I usually include in the salad). This tian is a super-easy but slow-cooking recipe that's been sitting among my bookmarks for years.

The premise is: assemble thinly sliced potatoes in a baking dish, brush them with adobo sauce and olive oil, bake until crispy on top and tender in the middle. As long as you're patient with the baking time, I think this is a near-foolproof method for a smoky, spicy comfort carb. I could work to improve my presentation by arranging the potato slices more carefully, but the flavour is all there regardless.

These potatoes added the perfect kick to varied but mildly-spiced lunch plate. The leftovers, reheated in the oven a day later, were even better!

   

Chipotle-brushed potato tian

(slightly adapted from a recipe on Oh My Veggies)

1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce from a jar of chipotles

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 medium Dutch cream potatoes

salt

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Whisk together the adobo sauce and olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the base and sides of a baking dish with the chipotle oil.

Peel the potatoes and slice them into rounds no more than 3mm thick - keep the pieces together in order for a prettier presentation. Arrange the potato slices in the baking dish so that they're standing up on their thin sides, firmly sandwiched together across the baking dish. Brush the tops of the potatoes with the remaining chipotle oil. Sprinkle over some salt.

Bake the potatoes for 75-90 minutes, until browned and crispy on top and tender in the centre. 

Pumpkin & feta filo pie

December 24-25, 2021

   

This year our Christmas day was small, casual and content, with no pressure to put on a big, fancy meal. But with time off from work, I was in the mood to do something fun in the kitchen and planned out some dishes a couple of days ahead. This Ottolenghi filo pie was simply plucked from my bookmarked recipes and formed the centrepiece of the meal - it's filled with a comforting, crowd-pleasing combination of pumpkin, feta, caramelised onion and sage.

There are a few phases to the recipe and I got a head start a day in advance, roasting the pumpkin in cinnamon and slowly caramelising the onions. This allowed me to focus on the construction of the pie during Christmas day. I had to trim my baking paper back to get the control I needed over the filo sheets, but it all came together and held together without too much drama. Though this recipe isn't vegan, I think it would be easy to adapt: the filo could be brushed with olive oil or melted margarine, and there are some terrific non-dairy feta cheeses available now.

The golden filo pastry makes a bit of a mess when it's time to slice the pie up, but I think it's the kind of crackly, tasty mess that enhances the sense of occasion.

   

Pumpkin & feta filo pie

(slightly adapted from an Ottolenghi recipe appearing in The Guardian)

375g packet filo pastry

90g butter, melted

30g caster sugar

filling

60mL olive oil

2 onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2 cm slices

salt and pepper

5g sage leaves, finely chopped

10g parsley, roughly chopped

150g feta, roughly crumbled

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 butternut pumpkin (~650g), seeds and peel removed, cut into 1 1/2 cm-thick half-moons

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Set a frypan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions and a little salt, and slowly cook the onions until they're very soft and caramelised - expect this to take around 40 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl, and stir in the herbs, feta, lemon zest, and a little salt and pepper.

Preheat an oven to 220°C while you slice up the pumpkin. Place the pumpkin pieces in a large baking tray, drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle over the cinnamon and some salt and pepper. Toss the pumpkin pieces around to get them coated in the oil, and bake them for up to 30 minutes, until tender.

Turn the oven down to 190°C. Line a springform cake tin with baking paper and brush it with the melted butter. Use a little more than half the filo pastry sheets to line the base and sides of the cake tin - brush each one with butter as they go in, sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar, and stagger them around the tin so that the base is well covered, all the sides are covered, and the sheets extend beyond the top of the cake tin. This process should use up about half of the melted butter.

Arrange half of the pumpkin pieces across the base of the cake tin, breaking them up as needed to fit them into the spaces. Spread half of the onion-feta mixture over the top of the pumpkin. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin and onion-feta mixture. Scrunch another sheet of filo onto the top of the fillings and brush it with butter. Fold over a couple of the overhanging filo pieces, add another filo sheet and brush with more butter. Continue this process until all the overhanging filo is gathered up, and all the filo sheets and butter are used up.

Transfer the springform tin to a baking tray, and place it all in the oven to bake for 50 minutes. Gently remove the outer springform walls from the cake tin and bake the pie for a further 20 minutes, until it is golden brown all over. Allow the pie to cool for around 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  

Pineapple upside-down cake

December 24, 2021

   

I've been lucky to have my mum visiting from Queensland over the past month. She doesn't eat chocolate, so I planned a couple of cocoa-free treats to share while she's around. This pineapple cake was a recipe that came to mind, perhaps nudged to the surface by the pineapple mocktails we recently enjoyed. My past encounter with this cake was at a picnic celebrating our friend Erin's birthday about a year ago. Thankfully the recipe was easy to find online, as I knew it was created by long-time favourite Helen Goh.

On that first occasion I especially enjoyed the combination of fennel seeds and pineapple, but the fennel flavour got a bit lost in my cake. I may have ground the seeds up too finely (I used the spice grinder attachment on our food processor), but I'd also be game to double the quantity if I made the cake again. I also made some minor missteps in cutting the pineapple, such that I found myself tessellating arrow-shaped pieces and filling gaps with small triangles of pineapple. The cake baked just find in this configuration, but I suppose slicing it was a little more delicate. If I'd sliced my pineapple into neat rectangular batons as intended, it would be an easy one piece per cake slice. 

The cake was ready for afternoon tea just as Mum and her sister Carol arrived. It was gorgeously soft and warm, fragrant with orange rind, with caramelly brown sugar dripping off the pineapple. A day later, I popped the second half of the cake in a switched-off but still-warm oven while we went for a walk after Christmas lunch. We were rewarded with that just-baked cake experience all over again.

   

Pineapple upside-down cake

(a recipe by Helen Goh, posted on good food)

pineapple topping

80g brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium pineapple

cake batter

180g plain flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

100g butter, at room temperature

80g caster sugar

40g brown sugar

zest of 1 orange

2 eggs

150g sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat an oven to 175°C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and spray it with oil. 

In a shallow bowl, stir together the sugar, fennel seeds and salt for the topping. Slice the bottom and top off the pineapple and stand it on one of these cut ends. Carefully remove the peel by slicing downwards around the pineapple, then tidy up any remaining peel, 'eyes' and rough bits using a small knife. Slice the pineapple in half vertically, and then lengthways into 2cm-thick rectangles (I think I mistakenly did this widthways). Trim away the core from each piece. Cut the rectangles into lengths that will fit the width of the loaf tin, and when you have enough to cover the tin base, you can keep the leftover pineapple to eat later. Roll the pineapple rectangles into the sugar mixture and set them out in the bottom of the loaf tin. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top.

For the cake batter, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a small bowl and set them aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the orange zest, and beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and sour cream in turns, then the finally the vanilla. Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth over the top. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, until it passes the skewer test. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before upending the cake onto a serving plate, pineapple on the top. 

Louis

Update 15/06/2023: Louis has been replaced by Zetta's Pantry.

December 16, 2021

   

I was able to access a COVID vaccination booster at the Royal Exhibition Building earlier this month. It was a lovely day, the queue was short, and I had plenty of time to wander the neighbourhood and get some lunch. As I browsed Brunswick St, I noticed cafe seating on a side street and saw a sign for Louis. Friend of the blog Steph had recently recommended Louis and I was glad to have stumbled upon it!

Louis has been open 2-3 years, but quietly shifted to an all-vegetarian menu about a year ago - there are numerous, well-marked vegan and gluten-free options. It's full of fun brunch dishes and a couple of burgers with a 'more is more' philosophy. For example, the smashed avo is actualy a 'smooth yuzu avocado mousse' that comes with balsamic marinated cherry tomatoes, sriracha popping balls, feta, dukkah, lotus chips, beetroot tuile, and herb infused oil.

   

As I read the menu, I recalled that Steph especially recommended Louis to me for its sweet vegan brunches - there are equally over-the-top Lotus Biscoff French Toast and Spilt Tiramisu Garden Cup dishes! Alas, on this day I really did just want something more contained and savoury. The plant-based fish bao ($24) served that purpose nicely. They were stuffed so generously that it was impossible to eat them entirely by hand, with lots of pickly Asian slaw, cucumber and coriander giving freshness, a single seared, salty slice of mock-fish and a spoonful of sriracha mayonnaise in each bun.

This seemed like a nice little entrée to what Louis offers - I'm keen to return, hungrier, in the future.

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Most reviews of Louis seem to be freebies from 2018-2019, before the cafe was vegetarian, e.g. WHATEPIEATS, Suzie Scribbles, THEYCALLMEMAGGIE, Linnie Eats All The Food and A Chronicle of Gastronomy.

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Louis

93 Moor St, Fitzroy

9427 2423

menu

https://www.cafelouis.com.au/

Accessibility: Louis has a flat, wide entry. Furniture (low tables, chairs with backs, and benches) is variously spaced across the cafe. I ordered and paid at a low counter (see left side of top photo). Toilets are narrow, ungendered cubicles with a single shared basin. 

Brother Bon II

December 15, 2021

   

Throughout 2020 and 2021 we've been enjoying meals from Brother Bon in our home. They're one of the few restaurants that co-ordinated their own deliveries, and we could always plan out a delicious set of vegan dishes that would extend beyond dinner to a leftover lunch or two. Dark, locked-down nights with boxed foods don't make for the best photographs, so I didn't blog these meals.

The photos within this post aren't my best, either, but I just can't hold off any longer because Brother Bon now serves my favourite ever fish'n'chips!    

   

I ordered this once or twice as a delivery, and I just knew its texture would be even better when I had the opportunity to eat it straight from kitchen to table in the restaurant ($24.90). The vegan fish substitute is banana blossom, which is lighter and flakier than most of the gluten-based mock fishes I've known. The Brother Bon chefs apply a spice rub to the banana blossom before battering and frying it to a dark golden crisp.

   

Both the battered mock-fish and the accompanying chips have unusually good seasonings. I also appreciate that this meal comes with some side salad, mushy peas, tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon to break up the deep-fry-fest. I shared some of my fish around the table and boxed up half of the chips to take home.

   

While I was revelling in an all-time favourite meal, Michael had a very enjoyable Char Kway Teow ($22.50), choosing mock-chicken from the six (!) protein options on offer.

The Brother Bon team have made gradual improvements to their restaurant setting over the years - what once felt a bit like a food court is now more subtly lit and relaxed. The service is excellent, and the menu only seems to get better too. I'm hoping we have many more opportunities to eat in at Brother Bon in 2022.

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You can read about my first visit to Brother Bon here.

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Brother Bon

377-379 High St, Northcote

9077 1335

menu page 1, 2

https://www.brotherbon.com.au/

Accessibility: The front door is very wide and slides, floors are flat and tables are moderately spaced. We ordered at our table and paid at a low-ish counter. We haven't visited the toilets, but I previously spotted a disability-labelled unisex toilet down a wide corridor at the back of the building.

Staple II

Update 12/06/2023: Staple is now closed, but the team are now involved with Croixssant.

December 12, 2021

   

We had a glorious weekend away at the beach mid-December, and the trip home took us through the western suburbs so we swung in to Staple for lunch. Pandemic rules had loosened a little since our last visit, so there was more seating available indoors, and staff remained diligent in their safety practices.

   

The menu had shortened from the four pages we last saw to a still-extensive two pages of bagels, burgers, toasties and specials. Arriving late and hungry, we were easily talked into meal deals with thick herb-sprinkled chips and a softdrink on the side (+$6). Michael chose the Terrie duckie ($16) from the list of toasties and received a neatly packed sandwich of thick-cut bread stuffed with mock-duck, scrambled tofu and mock-cheese, with generous squeezes of teriyaki sauce and mayo, and a garnish of nori strips and sesame seeds.  

   

I had an unexpectedly green-bunned Colonel burger ($17). This was very similar in style and quality to my beloved Origin Tales Zinger Tower, with a thick mock-chicken patty in an ultra-crisp batter, mock-bacon, cheese, lettuce, pickles and mayo.

   

I could barely finish my meal but Michael couldn't resist the 6-for-$15 doughnuts, which we gradually worked through over the following days. My fave was the chocolate-topped one stuffed with a peanut butter cream.

We've since heard a rumour that Staple are closing up their Altona North premises this week and intend to open up something new in the CBD. We'll be keeping a close eye on their socials for news of that in the new year - they're a lovely crew, and they make such fun vegan food!

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You can read about our first visit to Staple here.

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Staple

37 Cabot Drive, Altona North

0493 102 414

all day menu 1, 2

https://staplefood.co/

Accessibility: Staple has a narrow door and flat entry. Indoor furniture was well spaced. We ordered and paid at a low counter. Michael used a unisex toilet that was reasonably spacious (but didn't include handrails or other features) and was located upstairs.

The Carringbush Hotel II

December 5, 2021

   

Our one regular social connection throughout the locked-down months of 2020 and 2021 has been doing the Saturday Age quiz on Zoom with friends. It's lovely, now, to have the opportunity to share a meal with them in person. The all-vegetarian Carringbush Hotel was an ideal location for our mostly-veg*n group.

The menu has unsurprisingly changed since our last visit (most likely for book club or a pub trivia night last summer), but it hits similar beats. It's mostly vegan, with gluten-free and nut-free options well marked. There are fried nibbly things, hearty pub style meals, salads that sound like full, delicious meals, and a couple of desserts. It really was tough to choose what to order!

   

Michael and I shared the dumplings as a starter ($14, pictured top). They're now served fried, with a mango lime coriander dipping sauce. We loved the super-savoury mock-pork and mushroom filling, and appreciated the green papaya side salad.

Michael also took on the deep fried tofu burger ($24, pictured above). It's a challenge to wrap your mouth around, and gets most of its flavour from a great burger sauce. 

   

I was curious to try their riff on a vegan sausage roll ($12). It's a generous portion with lovely, flaky pastry. The interior is dotted with lentils and a bit mushier than I prefer (there might be only one true vegan sausy for me). Again, The Carringbush went the extra mile with a lovely side salad to balance the plate. (And don't worry - there's abundant tomato and hot sauces available to squelch on top.)

The Carringbush sets a very high standard for veg*n pub dining - I hope we'll be able to ease back into regular attendance there in 2022.

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You can read about our first visit to the Carringbush here. It has also won favour on Green Gourmet Giraffe and I Spy Plum Pie.

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The Carringbush Hotel

226-228 Langridge St, Abbotsford

9191 0149

menu front, menu back

https://www.carringbushhotel.com/

Accessibility: There's a small step on entry. We ordered and paid at a high bar. Furniture is medium-to-densely spaced, and mostly low tables and chairs with backs. Toilets are gendered, with slightly wider than average cubicles, but we didn't notice any additional features such as handrails.

Miso caramel cake

December 4, 2021 

   

When Soon-Tzu Speechley tweeted about this cake last month, I googled around for the recipe and kept a tab open. I'd not heard of its creator, Sybil Kapoor, before but she's a well-established chef and food writer in the UK. It took a few weeks before I had the right moment to make her cake, but I'm very glad I did.

The main event here is white miso. It's stirred into a rich caramel sauce, and the sauce is beaten into a buttercream. That buttercream gets slathered all over a plain vanilla butter cake. The entire experience is very buttery!

A few cooking notes: I think the caramel sauce recipe makes almost exactly double the quantity needed for the buttercream, so halve it if you like. I'm actually looking forward to slathering the leftover caramel on icecream later on. Second, I baked all of the cake mixture in one tin because I don't have two matching ones. I gave it lots of extra time and it passed the skewer test when I took it out, but I could see it was still a bit wobbly in the centre and that section collapsed as it cooled (you can see how thick the buttercream is, to compensate, in the photo above). I'll bake the cake longer still next time. Third, I could have put a bit more buttercream between the layers, because there was plenty to cover the top and sides (I'm pretty inexperienced icing cake sides!).

If there is a teeny downside to this cake, it's that you don't get to experience a warm, soft, fresh-from-the-oven piece. Rather, the buttercream sets in the fridge and the cake becomes firm. This texture reminds me a bit of birthday cake, and is its own pleasure.

Miso caramel cake

(a recipe by Sybil Kapoor, available via House & Garden UK)

miso caramel sauce (approx double the quantity needed for the cake)

250 g caster sugar

4 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons golden syrup

150 mL double cream

70 g butter, diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons white miso 

sponge cake

225 g butter, at room temperature

225 g caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

225g plain flour

1 scant tablespoon baking powder

miso caramel icing

1 cup miso caramel sauce

280 g butter, at room temperature

70 g icing sugar

Make the miso caramel first. Place the sugar, water and golden syrup into a medium saucepan and set them over low heat. Swirl the pan occasionally, until the sugar is melted. Increase the heat and and bring the mixture to the boil, continuing to boil until the mixture turns golden brown and ultimately dark brown. Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the cream, then the diced butter, and finally the lemon juice. Allow the caramel to mostly cool before beating in the miso paste. Set the caramel aside.

Next, bake the sponge cake. Preheat an oven to 160°C. Line one or two matching round cake tins with baking paper, and lightly spray them with oil. Beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy, then beat in the sugar. Beat in the vanilla, and then the eggs, one at a time. Sift over the flour and baking powder and mix until well combined. Pour the cake batter into the cake tin(s), smooth over the top, and bake until risen, golden brown, and springing back when lightly pressed. Kapoor recommends 25 minutes for two cakes, and my one cake was still a bit underdone in the centre after 40 minutes (50 might have been better). Allow the cake to cool completely.

Finally, prepare the icing. Beat together the caramel sauce and butter. Sift in the icing sugar and beat the mixture until fluffy and very smooth. If you have one cake, slice it gently through the centre to create two layers; if you have two cakes then you have two layers ready to go. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread it with no more than a quarter of the icing. Top it with the second cake layer. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Make it as smooth or swirly as you like, but aim to properly seal all of the cake away with icing. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving.