With My Feet In the Air and My Head On the Ground.

This all began last night, the Saturday before Halloween. Basically, the night the city is celebrating. At least the grown-ups do. Except me. I made a big, beautiful chili (yes, chili can be beautiful), opened a lovely bottle of Zinfandel, built a fire, and watched What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Sure, all my friends were dressed to the nines and out partying. My night was wonderful - just the way I like to celebrate.

It’s not that I’m a Halloween party pooper. Obviously I loved it as a kid. I would get dressed up, go Trick-or-Treating, eat too much candy - all that good stuff. I remember there were quite a few years, while my mom would help me get into my costume, the doorbell would ring suddenly; a little too early for the onslaught of Trick-or-Treaters. I knew who it was. I would race to the front door, swing it open wildly, to find The Secret Pumpkin: a beautifully illuminated and carved pumpkin, facing towards the door, looking squarely at me. Turns out my dad was behind the whole happening. The same man, mind you, who now celebrates Halloween by buying a bag of Snickers bars, turning out his lights, and sipping wine (or rum), while watching movies and eating said Snickers bars while costumed kids ring his doorbell to no avail.

These days I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and hardly eat any candy. I haven’t dressed up in a costume in well over a decade. I don’t really get many any Trick-or-Treaters up in the hills (I imagine the walking would be tough on the little buggers). I love scary movies, though. Love them. In fact, Halloween is one of my all-time favorites. I’ve even been on the Dearly Departed Tour here in Los Angeles and am obsessed with Find-A-Death. So, I guess it’s kind of a mystery - me and my ambivalence towards Halloween.

And so tonight is the night: All Hallows Eve. Yes, Halloween is upon us, and I find myself in my cozies, listening to Tortoise, with the TV on the Cooking Channel (muted) with a head full of thoughts of food and cooking. I spent the early part of the day at the Farmers’ Market and then the swap meet. I bought my usual whole chicken at the former and six vintage cookbooks at the latter. My mom gave me a clay pot last year for Christmas that I have yet to use. So I figured I’d find some way to dig up an old recipe, like Coq Au Vin, and reinvent it using the clay pot. Then I realized I had to soak the pot in water overnight prior to using it for the first time. I also realized that the chicken needed to “marinate” in its herbs and whatnot overnight as well.

So I uncorked a bottle of Bordeaux and heated up the chili from the night before.

But I was restless. I really wanted to play around in the kitchen. So I dug around in the cupboards to find something to inspire me. I also wanted to find something that had been around for a while to exorcize my kitchen of.

Pecans.

I didn’t have enough to do any major pecanification and I had already conceded to chili again for dinner. So I rifled through the sweets-ish section of one of my new-old cookbooks and bumped into a pretty – and fairly simple – recipe for pecan shortbread. Now, I know I said I don’t have a sweet tooth… but hells bells, I do so love some buttery, rich, decadent shortbread.

And so, without even meaning to, I feel like I sort of did something Halloweeny. Upon this realization, I decided to submit. In the final stretch of making my shortbread I switched the music to Goblin. And while I ate my shortbread I turned on Halloween.

Pecan Shortbread

Makes 4 to 6 Bars

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup finely ground pecans (2 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees with a rack in the center. Butter a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Add the flour, pecans, salt and vanilla; beat on low speed for five minutes.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Score the dough into bars, and prick the surface decoratively with a fork.

Bake until the shortbread looks dry, about an hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Turn the shortbread out of the pan, and cut along the scored lines.

A walk through my garden

Isn't spring just the most glorious season?  The first flush of daffodils and cherry blossom heralds a cavalcade of colour from now until late autumn.  Right now all the roses have just burst into bloom and are simply stunning.  I have my favourites all around the neighbourhood - the lilac blooms climbing up the verandah posts of a charming Victorian, as well as a huge apricot rose "tree", an enormous ball of blooms.  Next I have my eye on all the stone fruit trees that artfully overhang fences.  No need to take snacks on a walk when we can gorge ourself on fallen nectarines and peaches, ever so slightly fermented in the summer heat.  Gardening and nature is my twin passion along with food and cooking so I hope you will let me indulge myself and share a little of my second love with you.

This is my favourite rose in my garden - it's an old English style.  I love its soft ruffles and the scent is superb, intensely "rose" with hints of lemon.  Did you know that the rosehip with which you make rosehip tea is actually the fruit of the rose?  Like all fruits, they emerge from the base of the flower after it has died, although many modern cultivars of roses are too tightly petalled to allow the bees access to the stamen at their centre to allow pollination.

Irises!!  I am very attached to my irises.  Their colour is so striking and the ruffles so beautiful.  These grow from a bulb.  I had to stop getting the paper delivered as the delivery driver kept throwing them into the irises and breaking their stems, and I felt like too much of an old biddy to keep ringing up and complaining about "my irises, my irises!"

Rainbow silverbeet.  This is such a wonderful vegetable, both practical and ornamental.  It comes in stems that are cream, yellow, red and lolly pink.  The red ones in particular have such a wonderful contrast between the huge, shiny, fleshy leaves and the red veins underneath.  It grows like a weed and you can continually remove the outer leaves as it grows and it will just keep producing more.  Did you know that silverbeet and beetroot are very closely related - silverbeet has been bred for its leaves while beetroot for its bulbous root?  Next time you buy a beetroot with its leaves still attached, make sure you keep them - you can use them just like spinach.

I am trying my hand this year at garlic as the discrepancy between real, fresh, heritage garlic and cheap Chinese garlic is worlds apart.  I have planted these lettuces in between the garlic - when the lettuces are fully grown, the garlic will be ready to be harvested.  Always choose loose-leafed varieties of lettuce and you will have lettuce for a whole season as you can just keep removing the outside leaves and more will grow.  They are also surprisingly pretty with their leaves in all different shades of green and red, and look gorgeous in a feature pot.

Spuds!  Also the first year for these - two heritage varieties, one blue and one cream.  They are just going nuts.  You simply plant a seed potato that has "chitted" or sprouted from its eyes (if there are multiple sprouts on the same tater, you can cut it in half and plant both pieces to make two separate plants).  I am looking forward to the first baby new potatoes of the season... yum!

I have found that I have good luck with some things while other gardeners have better luck with others.  My tomatoes are always successful.  Here we have some heritage tommies bought from the local primary school's stall at the recent neighbourhood Diwali Festival.  This is a heritage variety called Rouge de Marmande which is good for colder areas.  I have not had much luck with root crops such as carrots, nor parsley which apparently you have to be a witch to grow well.  Explains why my sister's previous parsley patches have been INSANE...

Ah, that great Australian backyard fixture, the lemon tree!  We are never without lemons for hummus, salad dressing, marinades or hot lemon and honey drinks for sore throats.  Did you know you can use lemon leaves to impart a citrus flavour, just as you would use lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves?  You can't eat them but you can just tear them and throw them in the oil before making a curry a la whole bruised sticks of lemongrass.

By far my favourite place to shop for all things garden is Poyntons in Essendon.  It perches high above the Maribyrnong River and is such a delightful place full of every plant you could ever desire.  The staff are extremely knowledgeable and everything I have bought from here has been top quality and worth the higher price tag than, say, Bunnings.

There's a cafe here which has a (somewhat pricey) menu as well as a case of enormous cakes.  The coffee wasn't very good at all, having that disembodied froth that half-dissipates upon stirring.  But then again, you know me and my coffee.

There is an awesome kids' playground here that is open to everyone yet totally secure.  Love it!!  And love husbands that watch the kids while I can browse.  Poyntons is on a hillside and has multiple levels and nooks and crannies of everything from roses, shade-loving plants, groundcovers, natives, succulents, indoor plants, vegies and herbs...

This variety of mint smelled just like after-dinner mints, rich and chocolatey.  Gorgeous!  It would be lovely infused in home-made icecream or pannacotta.  Be careful when planting mint - it's better in a pot or it will take over your whole garden bed.  Or plant the pot in the ground which will prevent it from spreading yet give it the "look" of being in the garden bed.

Thanks for coming on this walk through the garden with me.  Enjoy spring and all the beautiful rain we are having!

Poyntons of Essendon

Cnr Vida St and the Boulevard, Essendon (map)

Phone:  9337 8111

Hours:  Monday - Friday 8 am - 5.30 pm, Sunday 9 am - 5.30 pm (cafe shuts 30 minutes earlier)

Wheelchair Accessibility
Entry:  Open access from street.  Steep, meandering paths to cafe at the top which has a level entry and an automatic door.
Layout:  Spacious with plenty of room around tables, both indoor and outdoor.
Bathroom:  Not viewed.

JB Ah Meng ...... Ah Meng let loose in JB?

Nope! Ah Meng's not let lose into JB and this JB Ah Meng is right in Singapore. JB Ah Meng is a street side chi char along Geylang Lorong 23. Well it's definitely not one of the place that you dress up to eat. Everyone here feels at home in T-shirt, shorts and slippers. The food here's quite good and definitely low budget. However, if do feel uncomfortable stepping into one of the Lorongs in Geylang, knowing how peculiar this district is, don't go. If you eat late into the night, there might see girls trying to chat up single men at some tables. That's how rowdy it can get. However, it was quite alright as we catch dinner before the sun sets.

'Alfresco' dinning along the little lane that led all the way from Geylang Lorong 23 to Aljunied Road.

In our previous visit, we had the prawns with salted egg sauce and fried pork belly. These were quite good and made us come back again for dinner but we weren't craving for heavy rich food. On our next table, there was these couple of Chinese males trying to devour a big plate of white pepper crab. Those crabs smelled good! We'll try the heavy stuff again another day. We were going light today so we had only the following dishes.

Our tofu with enoki mushroom, baby kailan drizzled with oyster sauce. It was well balanced and quite appetizing.

Stir fried beef with onion, peppers and black pepper. The beef was tender and was cooked with that wok fragrance that we cannot achieve at home unless we have fire as strong as those commercialized stove in their kitchen.

This was a thumbs up for me. Assorted mushrooms with fried bean curd skin stir fried with a good savory sauce.

This fish soup was a stinger for me. The fish was way too fishy and the soup was more like MSG soup masked off by adding evaporated milk. Don't think I'll order this ever again if I come back.

2 Geylang Lorong 23
Singapore
Tel : +65 67412418
Open : 5pm ~ 3am daily

Potluck Posts 10/28

I'm getting ready to hit the road again, with a couple of trips in November. First I'll be in Napa for the Worlds of Flavor: Japan conference then I'll be going on my first cruise and adding on a couple of days in Miami. The photo above is from my most recent trip to Wisconsin.

If you enjoyed my post here on Switzerland, check out my longer Frommer's report on Appenzell, a lovely region not far from Zurich. I've shared a few culinary highlights of the region, it's definitely worth a visit.

On Epicurious, my most recent posts are about sweet piquante peppers, you might know them as peppadews. There's another post with an updated list of my favorite foodie newsletters, all are free and good reads. I explored the flavor combination of zucchini, thyme and lemon. The comments on my post were great. I loved the suggestion to make a lemon pound cake with lemon and thyme sugar glaze.

Next week on Cooking with Amy you'll find another post in the series "Why do YOU cook?" as well as a review of afternoon tea at a fancy hotel on Nob Hill.

Adulis

"You have better watch out," said Mr Baklover, crisply snapping the sports section of the paper, "or you are going to become the Vietnamese Food Blog rather than the Footscray Food Blog".  "Well!" harrumphed I.  Yes, I have been to a disproportionate number of Vietnamese restaurants recently, I suppose, but that label - "Vietnamese restaurant" - is somewhat unhelpful.  I am reminded of a time eating on Victoria Street when a friend and I brought his sister to our favourite place.  We had been there once before with her, but she sighed and said, "Let's go somewhere different.  They're all the same after all," and before we could protest, had stepped into the place next door, which incidentally was more a BBQ meats place than a bun rice vermicelli salad place.

There's my problem, I explained to Mr Baklover - a "Vietnamese restaurant" could mean a pho joint, a hu tieu mi (clear rice/egg noodle soup) house, a no-nonsense com tam lunch spot, a crowded banh mi counter or a show-stopping, full-banquet, Vietnamese/Chinese extravaganza!  Nevertheless he did have a point, I suppose, so on date night we headed for Ethiopian.  Little did I know that the very diversity I had just acknowledged under the Vietnamese banner would now reappear where I least expected it.

Adulis is the newest East African restaurant in Footscray, having just opened in May of this year.  Eating out regularly in Footscray, we are so used to function rather than style, so the charming dining room and atmosphere came as a pleasant surprise.  The tables were draped with white tablecloths (albeit with a nonna-style clear plastic tablecloth over the top) and set with wine glasses.

The walls were painted in a very sexy bronze metallic tone and hung thoughtfully with African-style art.  Funky ethnobeat played on the stereo.  The delightful owner served us with charm and totally un-self-conscious flair.

Sambusa, $2 and Green Chilly, $2

This sambusa, a local version of the more widely-known Indian samosa, was yummy, filled with spicy lamb with just the right amount of richness.  The green chilli was simply a raw chilli, deseeded and split, and filled with a tomato and onion mixture made luscious through long marination in lemon and olive oil.  It was surprisingly delicious, like a fresh, healthy nacho chip.

Beb 'Ainetu meat ($20) and veg ($15)

Ethiopian restaurants are a paradise for the indecisive - there's always a chef's selection that gives you the best of everything.  A huge round platter was proudly presented to us, draped with kitcha or barley-based, pancake-like local bread.  Starting from the 12 o'clock position we had doro kulwha (mild "yellow" chicken), doro wat (chicken curry), zigni (sauteed beef), alicha (which I know as tikil gomen, cabbage and carrots), yellow lentils, "spinach" and misir wat (spicy lentils).

Oh boy - where to start?  This food was simply fabulous.  The doro kulwha was an absolute revelation.  Gingery, lemony and zingy, with the undertone of sweet caramelised onions and tender chicken.  Its spicier cousin, the doro wat, was a rich, earthy, earthly delight of red berbere spice, tomato paste and onions, surrounding tender chicken and a hard-boiled egg.  The zigni was similar to the doro wat but included small tender cubes of meat instead and was lusciously buttery.

Misir wat (red lentils) and spinach

Moving on to the vegies, the alicha was excellent - perfectly cooked cabbage, carrots and green beans in butter and turmeric.  The yellow lentils were cooked with similar simple aromatics like ginger and turmeric and provided a contrast to the misir wat or spicy lentils which, like the doro wat, had been cooked with berbere.  The "spinach" (which I think may have been kale?) was fantastic, a dry, perfectly cooked, just slightly pleasantly bitter delight with the tang of iron on your tongue.

Shoro (part of Beb 'Ainetu or chef's selection)

With a proud flourish, we were also presented with this intriguing pot of shoro (aka shiro) or chickpea-flour stew, served in a gorgeous shiny black pot complete with matching lid.  Oh gods, this was just divine.  I have had shiro before at Ethiopian restaurants and have never liked it, finding it to be a dry, crumbly pseudo-dal that is redeemed only by the green chillis spiked throughout.  Adulis' shoro is absolutely nothing like that.  It is rich and luscious, the chickpea flour smooth and thick, the undertones of onion and just a little tomato radiating throughout the whole pot.  So - totally - divine !

We also received this little dish of traditional hot sauce.  We had fun trying to unravel the many threads of flavour running through this little pot of red gold.  It is hot but not overly so, but the overwhelming flavour is that of smokiness, almost like chipotle chilli.  Yes, we did ask what was in it, but only got a shake of the head and a friendly wink - "Secret!"

Injera

As well as the barley-based, sturdier kitcha or pancake-bread upon which our meal was served, we received a basket of pillow-soft, tangy, wheat-based white injera.  This traditional East African bread is made by fermenting a batter of various flours (giving a pleasant sour flavour, just like sourdough bread) and then pouring onto a large, flat pan so that one side is covered in millions of little craters that act as sponges for all the delicious flavours.

We ate until we were stuffed and then we ate some more.  The food was that good.  Everything belied a really careful hand.  Sometimes Ethiopian dishes such as doro wat which involve slow-cooked onion can have a very slight bitter undertone if the onions were allowed to brown instead of caramelise - not so here.  Again, at some restaurants everything can taste a bit "same-same", whereas here at Adulis every dish had its own individual, very distinct flavours.  The ingredients were quality and had been treated with care - no grey hard-boiled egg yolk here.  My only criticism is they have no Ethiopian beers.

Most times I eat Ethiopian, after I finish I have to go and wash my hands straight away, not because I am overly fastidious (as anyone who has seen my bedroom floor would know) but because the food can be really, really oily.  This was absolutely not the case at Adulis - oil was used judiciously.  The flavours were so clean and the ingredients of such quality that there was no need to drown everything in cooking oil.

Later a friend asked how it compared to The Abyssinian in Kensington.  I replied it was as good if not better, and the comparison got me thinking.  The Abyssinian is actually Eritrean before it is Ethiopian, and with a little research, I believe Adulis is actually Eritrean too.  So next time you are out and fancy Ethiopian, ask yourself if you wouldn't rather try Eritrean.  Hey, even if you feel like Vietnamese, go try it.  Do support this delightful restaurant - you won't be disappointed!

Two cocktail umbrellas up - way up!


Adulis
Shop 1, 68A Hopkins St, Footscray (map)
Phone: 9687 3375
Open:  Tuesday to Sunday

In respose to a reader request I am delighted to now include a small separate review on the restaurant's wheelchair accessibility as well as a "wheelchair accessible" tag for easy navigation.  Exactly what "wheelchair accessible" means has been somewhat of a challenge for me to work out, though!  There's no "checklist" or "wishlist" online I could find.  How high is too high for a step?  When is a lip a step?  What about the amount of room in and around tables?  Does bathroom access come into it?  Please write in and give me your suggestions as to how to improve this section.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Entry:  Double doors level to the ground.

Layout:  Spacious with plenty of room around tables.
Bathroom:  Not viewed.

Creating A Meal You'll Love: Book Review

It seems fitting that food writers and chefs, who focus on the pleasures of eating, also help out those who don't get enough to eat. That is the idea behind Creating A Meal You'll Love: Notable Chefs and Food Writers on Their Unforgettable Dining Experiences. It's a book of essays from chefs and food writers and all of the contributors provided their essays "pro bono" with the royalties from the sale of the book going to Share Our Strength, the leading non-profit organization ending childhood hunger in America.

There are some recipes in this book, but mostly there are just wonderfully written essays from a wide range of voices. I am proud to share the pages with people I know like Shauna James Ahern and Jaden Hair, writers I admire like Louisa Chu, Mimi Sheraton and David Sax and inspiring chefs like Marcus Samuelsson, Anna Thomas, Susur Lee and Skye Gyngell. In fact, the essay from Skye Gynegell about a memorable meal that she shared with her father in Tuscany is reason enough to buy this book. My essay is on The Most Important Meal of the Day. Perhaps you can guess which one that is? It's the meal I enjoyed with guests on my wedding day and one I cherish making on the weekends and sharing with my husband.

I write this blog because I love sharing with you, my readers. I ask nothing in return. I do not ask for donations, bore you with sponsored posts or even pester you to click on ads. But I do hope you will purchase a copy of this book either for yourself or to give as a gift. I'm sure you will enjoy it and the money goes to support an important organization and a cause near and dear to my heart. Like the Best Food Writing anthologies, this is a book that shares stories from writers you treasure and will enable you to discover new voices as well.

Red Wine Pasta with Walnuts: Recipe for World Pasta Day

Pasta is my comfort food. It makes me happy to eat it, to cook it and even to look at it. I love all kinds of noodles from Italian to Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and even Spanish noodles. I love the texture and the way noodles are chameleon-like, absorbing flavors and reflecting all kinds of cultures. Noodles have something to say, whether lowly instant ramen or handmade fettuccine tossed with butter and shavings of truffle. I have written about noodles many times and am always glad to participate in anything pasta related and this time, it's World Pasta Day!

I would not stop eating pasta for any reason, but it is good to know that pasta is not an "evil starch" but actually is a slowly absorbed carbohydrate, that has a low glycemic index. That means it does not cause sugar in the blood to rise as quickly as many other foods. Studies have shown that when eaten in healthy portions, pasta does not lead to weight gain, may be beneficial for those with diabetes, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, prostate cancer. You can read more about it and see links to the medical research in Pasta for All.

I was looking for something new to do with pasta and I came across something not so new. It's a recipe that has been floating around in various incarnations for years. In my usual manner I looked at several recipes and mixed and matched until the recipe worked best for me. I don't want to say this recipe is weird, but cooking spaghetti in red wine gives it an unusual color and flavor. In addition to pasta, this recipe features red wine, walnuts, garlic and olive oil in it, so you can eat it for health or eat it because it tastes good! It has a very earthy and slight spicy flavor and is very pretty on the plate. The new plate by the way is from Villeroy & Boch. They sent me a couple of pieces to play with and I just love them.



Red Wine Pasta with WalnutsServes 4

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
3 cups fruity red wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste, but don't use too much!
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain then return the pasta to the pot and add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time, until wine is just about completely absorbed, 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile in a dry skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove toasted nuts from the skillet and set aside. Return skillet and add the oil, heat over medium. Add the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Add the parsley, walnuts and stir for a moment or two. Add the pasta and toss then add the cheese and continue tossing until well combined and glossy. Taste for seasonings, serve, passing additional grated cheese at the table if desired.

Enjoy!

Dong Que

On the great wagon trail of life, it's easy to get stuck in a rut.  With Vietnamese food, I have a real tendency to get stuck on certain dishes.  For an inordinately long time, I couldn't eat anything but sliced beef pho.  My affection for these seemingly bottomless bowls of broth seemed similarly limitless.  Later I became obsessed with sugarcane prawns or beef & lemongrass rice vermicelli salads.  Like a fly trapped in honey, being in love with a particular dish is a delicious problem to have.  Every so often, though, you have to wrench yourself away from your comfy surroundings and go in search of new territory.

Dong Que is a great little restaurant where I am sure that even the most seasoned Vietnamese food conoisseurs would find something to surprise them.  The walls are covered in enticing pictures of its specialties.  The dishes here have a northern Vietnamese bent, with its offerings of grilled fish with dill (cha ca thang long), steamed rice paper (banh cuon), and snail soup (bun oc).

Southern Vietnamese food is known for its lush use of herbs and other greenery, and it is this subset of Vietnamese cuisine that dominates the Vietnamese restaurants here in Australia.  In southern Vietnam, lime and tamarind are used to add a sour flavour, and coconut milk is used for sweet and mild curries.  Northern Vietnamese food is said to be somewhat plainer and more reminiscent of its Chinese heritage.  Soy sauce is used as freely as fish sauce, vinegar may be used to add sourness, while black pepper can add heat rather than chillies.  Long, slow cooking is used to draw out flavour - indeed, pho has its origins in northern Vietnam and did not become popular in the South until the 1950s.

 Cha gio Dong Que (authentic Vietnamese spring rolls), $10

Think you know everything there is to know about the humble cha gio or spring roll?  Think again.  The truly traditional cha gio is not made with a wheat wrapper, but with rice paper, a la goi cuon or Vietnamese rice paper rolls.  As Wandering Chopsticks explains, when the first Vietnamese communities were being established both in the USA and here, rice paper was not readily available, so cooks turned to the more freely available Chinese wheat wrappers.  I have also read that wheat wrappers retain their crispness better, and I would imagine that they freeze better than rice paper, so despite the face that rice paper is now freely available, the wheat wrappers continue to be popular.

  

Dong Que's authentic rice paper spring rolls were a lot fatter than ordinary cha gio.  While I find that many cha gio have quite indistinct fillings (it's impossible to tell the difference between the prawn, pork, or prawn and pork), the stubbiness of these specimens meant the quality of the filling was unmissable.  It was the classic blend of minced pork, black fungus, and bean thread noodles, and was very tasty.  The rice paper skin is pleasantly bubbly, but after wrapping in mint and lettuce and dipping in nuoc mam cham (seasoned fish sauce), I think their fatness did let them down somewhat as there wasn't enough crispy crunch.  The ultra-crispy, wheat-wrapped, cigarette-shaped cha gio is better for serious lettuce and dipping action.

Banh dap thit nuong (Steamed rice paper with grilled pork and rice cracker), $10

Well, our desire for crunch was well-fulfilled with this fabulous "Vietnamese taco".  Banh cuon or a very similar round rice noodle is topped with smoky grilled pork, peanuts, and spring onion, and sandwiched between seriously crunchy, thick, black sesame rice crackers.  This is served with mam nem, which is related to that most odiously odorous of dipping sauces, the fermented prawn mam tom.  Mam nem is not nearly as strong, tasting like a thicker, richer nuoc mam cham.

Banh bot chien (Fried mixed flour cake with egg), $9

I first had this on Mei Ling's "Taste of Vietnam" tour, and it was the reason I wanted to go back to Dong Que.  It is so, so yummy - squares of rice flour cake (made very simply by steaming rice flour and water), fried, then bound with lightly beaten egg.  It's served with a sweetened, light soy sauce.  Fantastic, and the kids loved it.  I did realise later than this is just a simple snack, often eaten after school.  Yep, we were the weird Anglos sighing and moaning over the equivalent of a teenager's two-minute noodles!!



Goi du du bo kho (Dried beef with shredded green papaya coleslaw), $12

This coleslaw was absolutely divine!  Crunchy green papaya, perfectly shredded, mixed with lightly pickled carrot, crunchy roasted peanuts, and topped with beef jerky.  I'm not sure how the jerky was prepared, but it was chewy, rich, and tasty, yet somewhat tenderised by the tangy, light, soy-based dressing.  The prawn crackers are there for piling with salad then eating, somewhat like a Mexican tostada.

I'm curious to try more northern Vietnamese dishes here, particularly to see how their pho differs from say, Hung Vuong Saigon's.  I spied a couple eating bo la lot or beef in betel leaves, which came with rice paper sheets which they dipped in water to soften, before rolling their own DIY rice paper rolls.  They also had a seafood/vegie stirfry on crispy noodles, which they dressed with Chinese black vinegar.  Intriguing!

My only criticism is being forced to watch the racist, consumerist, keep-fear-alive shit that is Channel 7's Today Tonight, and also for my kids to have to be forced to watch it too (they have two huge TVs, one at the front and one at the back of the restaurant).  Now that way of looking at the world is a rut I never want to get into, let alone get stuck in.

Dong Que

102 Hopkins St, Footscray (map)

Phone: 9689 4392

Hours: 10am-10pm Mon-Wed and Fri-Sat (closed Thurs), 11am-10pm Sun

Why do YOU cook, Vanessa Barrington?

There are lots of books out right now about canning and preserving and making all kinds of things from scratch. So how is D.I.Y. Delicious. different? It's written by Vanessa Barrington, a talented cook and writer, who figured out how to make stuff on her own, in a real home kitchen. It's filled with recipes for everyday things you will get excited to make yourself when you see how easy most of the recipes are. Soon you'll be making mustard, yogurt, pickles, horchata, crackers and more.

The book also features recipes for using many of the things you'll learn to make. So after you learn to make Creme Fraiche (pg. 116) you can make Artichoke Soup with Creme Fraiche (pg.119). It also includes lots of cool ideas you probably haven't considered before like Savory Porridge with an egg and cheddar cheese or Pulled Pork Canapes with fig rosemary jam.

Vanessa Barrington is creative, socially conscious and just plain fun. She's a talented writer, recipe developer, and coincidentally a terrific conference roommate. So, why does she cook?

"The simplest answer is that I don’t know how NOT to. I feel more like myself in the kitchen than I do anywhere else. Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes any sense to me, especially during times of emotional upheaval, national strife, (elections/terrorist attacks/the televised aftermath of hurricanes) or on ordinary bad days. Even on a good day spent in front of my computer answering emails and writing all day, nothing feels so good as pulling out a cutting board and knife, and beginning the soothing work of chopping.

It wasn’t always like that. In fact, there have been periods in my life when I didn’t really like food. As a kid, I was a picky eater. I’d sit at the dinner table for hours, after everyone else went out to play, rather than eat the gray, overcooked pork chop and the canned peas on my plate.

When I started working in the restaurant business in my 20s, a whole new world opened up to me and I realized that I wasn’t really picky, just discerning. I started out by trying to recreate the dishes I served to customers. I had no idea of technique, but usually the results were somewhat ok. I was good at figuring things out. Eventually I taught myself how to cook.

These days, I’m not so much into restaurant food. Of course I go out and I do enjoy it. Occasionally I even have a meal that bowls me over. But what I like best is just poking around in the refrigerator, the garden, and the farmers’ market, figuring out what I want to eat, and then perhaps calling a friend to share it with me. I cook because I really like my own cooking and feel healthiest when I cook for myself. At the end of even the most delicious vacations, I can’t wait to get home and cook something simple to eat."

Pound Cafe

My ideal cafe epitomises Melbourne's charm - small, skinny, and secret like a laneway, full of nooks, crannies, and other intimate spaces.  In my mind's eye, I imagine leaning back against the bare brick walls, micro-roasted coffee in hand, gazing up at a local artist's work while RRR's album of the week plays.  The pale, wintery sunshine streams in, illuminating exciting food and fashion magazines on the communal table, while the Synesso coffee machine clicks and hums.

When I have the three screaming kids with me, though, all the positives suddenly become negatives.  The narrow doorway and mismatched retro chairs become hazards to ram apologetically with my embarrassing double stroller, the art or air-freighted magazines become liabilities to be smeared with hands made sticky with overpriced friands, and the tinkle of scintillating conversation is drowned out by the sound of smashing babycino cups.  In a nutshell, I don't really bother taking the kids to cafes any more.

A lovely friend recently recommended the Pound at the Whitten Oval to me.  Alarm bells started ringing - firstly, the name sounds like some outer suburban nightclub with free Midori Illusions for the ladeez.  It is at the Western Bulldogs' home ground just over Gordon St, in Footscray.

Now, my memories of eating at the football are "potato planks" at the MCG and those revolting udders you would squeeze to squirt dead horse (tomato sauce) all over your lukewarm Four n' Twenty pie, so the whole football-food association thing was not working for me.  Nevertheless, my friend rated it, so I was game to check it out.

The cafe is just inside the doors, basically in the foyer of the Whitten Oval visitors' centre.  Tables and chairs are neatly set out, and at the back there is a long, high-backed banquette.  Floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the oval.  I admit, I was initially very doubtful - these sort of cafes that are within an institution, such as a hospital, university, or a museum, tend to be terrible as they have somewhat of a captive audience and no incentive to exceed expectations.

The first thing that surprised me was the great value - $12.50 for parma, salad, and chips, or a Caesar salad with bacon, croutons, and poached egg for $11.  Ordering is efficiently and cheerfully undertaken at the counter, which displays a selection of sandwiches, slices, and muffins.  The location in the lobby means there was plenty of space to park our enormous prams without running over anyone's toes.  Big points, too, for no EFTPOS minimum.

Open steak sandwich, $9.50

This was just lovely - the steak thin, yet tender and juicy.  The onions were sweet and the bread was crunchy and substantial, holding up its end of the bargain.  A side salad or chips would have cost just a mere $1.50 extra.

Lemon pepper calamari, $12.50

This calamari was so tender and juicy.  It was very lightly coated in a zingy lemon, herb, and breadcrumb blend, and was totally moreish.  I opted for extra salad instead of chips, and it was a crisp mix of julienned vegies, salad leaves, and snow pea sprouts.  My only complaint was the dressing was a bit bland. 

Fruit platter with passionfruit syrup and honey yoghurt, $7.50

This was from the all-day breakfast menu and was the ideal snack for my daughters.  Everyone had a favourite and the yoghurt sweetened the deal.  Perfect!

Cappuccino, $3.20

The food passed the muster, now for the final test - the coffee.  Mmmm - well-made, just the right temperature, with silky milk.  The coffee blend is quite mild, and though I do prefer a bolder bean, it really was a delicious cup of chino.  Loyalty cards are available - get the 7th coffee free.  Bonus!

The amount of space both inside and outside means the kids have room to breathe, the staff are not precious at all, and it's casual enough that you could slop down there in your trackies and not feel out of place.  The menu doesn't push any boundaries, but I like that - it knows what it is and it does it well.  They are fully licensed, so if it's been a particularly fractious morning, you can have a wine instead of a latte.  Commendations, too, for no crappy kids' menu of nuggets and other rubbish.

The Bulldogs market themselves as "the community club," and I do commend them for their involvement in the local community, particularly with disengaged young people through SpiritWest (although their endeavour to build a pokies pub at Edgewater is strangely at odds with their mission).  The Pound is a great addition to the local community and despite its lack of reclaimed industrial decor or emo-fringed, funky-aproned staff, I am definitely planning to become a regular.

Bulldogs fight, and bulldogs roar... and they make a nice coffee, too!

Pound Cafe

Whitten Oval, Whitten Avenue, Footscray (map)
Phone: 1300 GO DOGS
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-5pm (closed Sun)