To give you a little background, a few years back, I was asked to be one of the co-authors of THE NEW FILIPINO KITCHEN. I still recall that very moment in time, I was walking to a client appointment when an email popped up in my inbox from Jacqueline Chio-Lauri (the brilliant founder & editor). I literally stopped and pulled into a bookstore (how ironic!) to read it properly. I knew it right then and there that it was going to be something uniquely special, filled with so much heart as Jacqueline described the book as part anthology, part cookbook – something that was missing in this landscape for Filipino food. I’ve championed the cuisine across so many platforms over the years but this book is all about UNITY; that together as a collective group, we can share our stories and open our hearts to the reader.

Some time later, Jacqueline had a breakthrough, we not only got one offer but two offers to publish the book (!) and ended up going with Agate Surrey whose books have sold more than 1 million copies in total, with authors ranging from Food Network stars and James Beard Award winners to former food editors and contributors to the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, and Chicago Tribune. Jacqueline is literally, a boss. I then imagined my future self flicking through the pages going from emotion to emotion, laughing and crying at the same time, as I read through all the memories and personal stories from fellow cooks that filled the pages.

Fast forward to 2018, the book hit #1 on Amazon’s New Releases in April and is finally out as of September 18!

You know you’ve made it when the director of your fav Netflix show – Chefs Table – and foodie legend Dianne Jacob (Will Write for Food) gives your new book you’ve coauthored glowing reviews!!

“Beautifully written for anyone who loves a good tale and good food.”
Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food

“An engrossing, page-turner of a cookbook. If you can even call it a cookbook?it’s more of a short story collection with delicious, addictive recipes. You can find everything that makes food so special: the connection between family and the dinner table, tradition and innovation, and preserving cultural identity in a world that’s increasingly homogenized. It makes me hungry.” Brian McGinn, director & executive producer of Netflix’, Chef’s Table

“You don’t have to be Filipino to appreciate what these writers discover about their native cuisine and, in turn, themselves.” Janet Rausa Fuller, two-time James Beard Journalism Award finalist

“A wonderful multilayered answer to the question ‘What is Filipino food?’ and an invitation to everyone to get cooking.” —Naomi Duguid, author of James Beard Award–winning Taste of Persia

“An amazing anthology of dishes that will suit any occasion and certainly have your guests cheering.” Cathal Armstrong, award-winning chef, restaurateur, and author of My Irish Table

“Contributors’ entrancing essays about work, life, and love of their heritage are not to be missed . . .  A gentle, inspiring, and exciting introduction to a savory world still new to many U.S. readers.” Booklist, starred review

Other reviews are also pouring in from key trade publications like Publishers Weekly and fellow cookbook authors.

THE NEW FILIPINO KITCHEN, an anthology of Filipino stories and recipes publishes this month! Pre-order your copy today at a 35% discount: https://www.amazon.com/New-Filipino-Kitchen-Stories-Recipes/dp/157284258X

Excited!!!!!

Summer so far has been totally rad, surprisingly productive and very eventful – I renovated and moved into a new house, went crazy furniture shopping, ate beautifully sticky glazed ham four ways almost everyday since Christmas, hosted six parties over three weeks and made litres upon litres of Melon Noodle Cooler for my guests who had reminded me of the fact that I still hadn’t published my recipe for this popular drink, oops!

I made a few tweaks to the recipe by adding sago (YASSZZ!), condensed milk and lemon resulting in a more refreshing and texturally fun drink. There are two versions – Adults Only (with Frangelico or Vodka) and PG (non-alcoholic with condensed milk and sago) This drink is super fun to drink making it the perfect backyard BBQ cooler you need this summer.

Zee Ingredients

1 ripened Rockmelon
1 cup caster sugar
2 litres of chilled filtered water
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
1 can of condensed milk
1 packet of tapioca pearls
Ice

Adults Version

Add 1/2 cup of Frangelico or Vodka.

Zee Method

1. If you’re lucky to own an oldskool melon scraper, this will make the perfect melon noodles otherwise, a vegetable peeler will suffice. Cut the rockmelon in half, remove pips and start scraping away to form thin strips no longer than an index finger. See image below. Transfer into a large pitcher enough to hold at least 4 litres of water
2. Fill with three litres of chilled water. Stir. Add caster sugar, stir until dissolved.
3. Add lemon, vanilla essence, add a handful of ice and stir.
4. Make the sago: Fill a large pot with water and boil. Add packet of tapioca pearls and stir occasionally to prevent it all from sticking together for 15 minutes or until they become translucent. Turn off heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside in a bowl combined with sugar syrup.
5. Serve it up.
PG Version: Using a ladle, scoop out enough melon noodles to fill ¼ of a glass, add a teaspoon of condensed milk and tapioca pearls then fill the remaining of the glass with the melon cooler sans the noodles.

Adults only version: Using a ladle, scoop out enough melon noodles to fill ¼ of a glass, add Frangelico OR Vodka and one teaspoon of tapioca pearls then fill the remaining of the glass with the melon cooler sans the noodles.

You’ve been served

I hope you’ll enjoy slurping my recipe for Melon Cooler down, in the meantime, I’ll be ‘attempting’ to get at least one shade darker at Hamilton Island. The below shot taken taken on the first day outside one of the best places I’ve stayed in – The Beach Club. Did I mention they also give away free Movenpick ice cream throughout the day as you lounge by the beach or their glorious infinity pool??!!!

P.S As a long time sufferer of ‘the sneeze’, I’m also celebrating the fact that HAYFEVER season is over.  I do however, have strong suspicions that the wrath of pollen still lingers in the air and as summer progresses, is slowly being replaced by another by yet another foe – blood sucking mutated mosquitoes that have an insatiable appetite for my blood. I stepped out to water the garden for a few minutes and I came back with twelve bites, WTF?! I now walk around with a blue citronella patch on my arm which is just embarrassing and voids any attempts to smell like a gentleman as opposed to a walking inspect repellent.

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join other sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…EVERYTHING!

Adrian

2 Macs Farms (home to the ‘Macs’ Mary McCarthy and Bill McNamara) is located in Main Ridge, making it the perfect stopover for those visiting the Mornington Peninsula. Purchased more than six years ago, the farm still retains the original house built in 1947, but has since undergone a significant transformation now boasting a Farm Gate stocking raw honey from their own hives, garlic, tomato kasundi, chutney and more with ingredients harvested from their organic gardens, cooking classes in the Harvest Kitchen as well as onsite accommodation.

In addition to running cooking classes in the Harvest Kitchen, Mary McCarthy also hosts Slow Sunday Lunches, where over the course of just over four hours, she welcomes you into her world, cooking up an endless feast of comfort food using produce grown right on the farm from the quince that was beautifully roasted alongside the Berkshire pork, the eggplant in the moussaka to the red pine mushrooms that went in the baked parsnip gnocchi. Being so close to the action makes it even more special as your senses go completely bizerk as the smell of everything good in this world suddenly fills the air.

Speaking of all things good in this world, I’ve eaten Berkshire pork before and I tell you what, being known to be great foragers, they make for an incredibly succulent and tasty roast. I was told their berkys even loved eating avocados as I roamed their old stomping grounds and had the privilege to have first dibs at the crackling having spent most of the time in the kitchen with Mary. I watched in awe as she worked her magic as I kept warm by the wood-fire oven and exchanging ‘OMG this tastes amazing’ moments with Amanda, who lends a hand across the many facets of 2 Macs Farms.

When it came to the veggies, they were prepared in so many varied ways, I lost count – roasted pumpkin and sweet carrots, brussels sprouts quickly tossed in the pan and my personal in jar favourites; fermented beetroot and pickled veggies that I doused the pork with as if they were gravy (I’m talking lashings!) SO GOOD. I have a massive weakness for pickled anything (ala my recipe for Atchara) so much so I have a tendency to add it to almost every meal, especially BBQ meat. It must be the the distinctive sharpness, the colors that add to the overall presentation of a dish or the fact that I grew up eating it but whatever it is, I’m addicted ok!

More dishes come sizzling out of the oven – scalloped potatoes, Moussaka with eggplant (no bechamel!), gnocchi done two ways, roasted veggies and then everyone was called to the table as soup was being served up. Made with celeriac, leek and cauliflower it was pure velvet served alongside freshly baked bread that I smothered with butter until it was dripping.

Once all the mains made a landing on the table, Mary took the time to passionately introduce each dish down to all the condiments whilst we all watched on with our beady eyes discreetly picking up our drool. Of course, the majority of us made a dash for the crackling! Haha! In all the excitement (you know me…) I may or may not have filled my plate with too much…rookie mistake (see: the very last pic).

By the time I had finished eating what felt like half of everything, we definitely needed some time out to digest and let the tummy do its thing so we can fit in the all important desserts, so we went exploring. I hung out with the chooks, chatted with the other guests by the open fire, took a million photos as there were so many cool nooks that added their own charm to the premises like the old vintage pickup and a paddle boat set against a tree, tasted edible flowers and plants that I swear smelt like lemon balm, made a list of all the chutney and honey I wanted from the store, saw some magnificent views near the newly laid crop and then before we knew it, we were being called in for, ahuh, MORE FOOD! Life is so hard sometimes, for reals.

As soon as I walked back into the kitchen, my eyes fixated on the most exquisite looking pavlova I’ve ever seen with lashings of passion fruit, lush cream and melt all your troubles in this life away meringue. It was hard to choose a favourite as I have a massive sweet tooth and since I happily tied them all, it would probably be between the pav and the chocolate, banana and quinoa cake that was just, how do I put it – decadent and surprisingly not too sweet with more cacao coming though which meant for a sneaky second slice. I was wondering what Mary was going to make out of the baked rhubarb and out came a beautiful tart and also another favourite at the table, was the raspberry and passion fruit ice cream sending the kids into a frenzy and by kids I mean the adults. The kids were more civilised!

Whilst I desperately wanted to eat more, the food was rising from my stomach and was dangerously invading more upper body real estate that I or any other fellow human being was comfortable with. I’m I sure I speak for the other thirteen guests when I say that it was such a wonderful experience spending a day eating stunning food, meeting new friends and exploring the beautiful farm grounds. Thank you Mary and Bill for inviting us out to experience your world of DELICIOUSNESS and for the very informative tour around your home as well as to Amanda, for your awesomely energetic hospitality. Please don’t let me leave next time!

Note: I’m trialing a new format keeping the copy and images separate, letting them each ‘speak’ for themselves if that makes sense. Let me know what you think!

Food Rehab ate like cray courtesy of 2 Macs Farms. 

#FOODGASM awaits below . . . 

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by an open fire pit and trays of seriously tasty morsels (loved the carrot dip) and fresh homemade lemonade.

Still steaming!

And…my plate

Details:

2 Macs Farms

Cnr of Browns Rd and Greens Rd Main Ridge VIC
(entry is approx. 50m down Greens Rd, on the right)

Bookings: http://2macsfarms.com/harvest-kitchen-class-calendar/

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join other sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…EVERYTHING!

Adrian

I was tossing up whether to cook either Molo (hearty wonton soup), Bulalo (beef with bone marrow soup) or Sopas but I had a tonne of milk in the fridge about to die from neglect, so I Sopas it was. I didn’t actually grow up eating this dish and rarely saw it at family parties only later discovering it when a friend’s mum made a fresh batch and I knew right there and then that I needed this bowl of comfort in MA.LIFE.FOREVER. So if you gotz milk to burn, this dish is for you.

My Sopas recipe is a little different *mum standing with arms crossed behind me* in that I add mushrooms, yellow capsicum, red chilies, no celery cuz I don’t like it and use fresh milk rather than evaporated. Use evaporated milk if you want with the same quantity as noted in the recipe (2 cups) but I prefer to have it desserts like Halo Halo only. Speaking of, what I would do for a massive bowl of Halo Halo with extra ube and leche flan right about now DRRRROOOOOLLLLLLS…

Serves 6.

Preparation…

In the boil…smell dat

You’ve been served!

TIP: If you don’t plan on serving this right away, cook the macaroni shells separately, drop them into each bowl and pour the broth over it. This will avoid serving soggy macaroni!

I’d describe this as a buttery, creamy chicken soup that leaves you lips a little sticky that only comes from that awesome both – third reason why you need this in your life. It may appear to be rich, but it ain’t so a second serving is pretty common in my household. Don’t focus too much on getting all the veggies evenly chopped and sliced, I like having odd sized pieces especially with the mushrooms.

Do.It.

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join other sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

The tour started at the Peruvian grill, cevicheria and pisco bar, Pastuso. Just like its sibling San Telmo, they’re also tucked away in one of Melbourne’s infamous lane ways, ACDC lane. It’s been a hot minute since I last ate here, but one dish that got me all weak in the knees was their Tres Leches – a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk with roasted pineapple ice cream. Argh…so good. Anyways, onto the tour.

We started with what they pride themselves on  and rightly so  – Ceviche. Also popular back home in the Philippines, the cubed Ora king salmon was beautifully cured and the flesh dressed in a zesty sour orange dressing and went down perfectly with their frothy pisco sour. Why I offered to be the designated driver still bothers me! I’ve also previously had the Peruano which is a red snapper dressed in lemon juice and caramelised sweet potato and cancha which was also a treat.

Next came something I’ve never had in ma sweet life – tartare de alpaca, Yes, ALPACA. Those cute furry creatures you see on TV! I forgot what show it was, probably David Attenborough but whatever, I kept imagining it and but as soon as I saw the dish and took my first bite and downed more of that pisco sour, I ended up finishing off quite a large portion. Sourced from Illawarra in New South Wales,  it had a smokey/woody flavour to it, was not at all gamey and although the texture wasn’t too  indifferent to say beef tartare, it was more on the saltier side (a plus).

After abit of a stroll, we found ourselves at San Telmo – the house of MUURRRRTS!

The very awesome Doug Piper from Meat and live stock Australia brought in a hefty amount of lamb (25KG) and took us through the various cuts of lamb as he sliced and diced up the carcass as we ate. He took paddock to plate to another level and gave us tips on what to ask from your butcher!

The lamb rump was just incredible. Well seasoned and marinated in chipotle and coriander, it had that perfect layer of charred crisp and was cooked, to a tender pink that made for an incredible pairing with the glass of Malbec (above).

MLA promotes full carcass utlisation especially secondary cuts like rump and during the evening, it was in agreeance on the table that lamb shoulder is the new pork belly. Doug took us through the many ways you can cook lamb with less waste and fuller flavours along with where they are sourced from. For those who stay away from lamb, pasture fed lab is far less gamey than those that are grain fed and produces more flavour. Same goes for beef but considering we’re in Australia, they spend the majority of their time on pastures anyways.

San Telmo’s ICON dish at this year’s Taste of Melbourne will be their Vacio – Chimichurri rojo marinated flank steak with tomato salad. When this came out, everyone’s eyes literally lit up. One of my favourite dishes here for sure and one of the more cheaper priced items too.  Slow cooked, this Argentinian staple was grilled into a caramalised state until pink and the fat, creamy not too mention that smokey charred flavour throughout. Oh, and the tray was right in front of me…I say no more.

Highlights at Taste of Melbourne this year – November 12 – 15

San Telmo – of course, go for their Vacio and grab an Alfajor (cookie filled with dulce de leche)

A Taste of Beef and Lamb Sessions – eat and drink whilst learning about the best ways to cook beef and lamb from a master butcher and first hand knowledge from a farmer about sustainably raising cattle and sheep. More info

Pastuso – Ora King Salmon Ceviche, pisco sours and Costilla De Res – 8 hour slow cooked beef ribs, sweet corn puree and bone marrow. YERM :O

Food Rehab attended this dinner courtesy of Taste of Melbourne, Pastuso and San Telmo.

In other non meaty news, Food Rehab has been featured in Australia’s Top Food Blogs of 2015 WOOP WOOP!! Guess I shouldn’t give up on this blogging thing after all. Thank you for continuing to read my ramblings over the last 7 years!

Check out my favourite restaurants in the interview over at @HotelClubau

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join other sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

Note to self – do not bring your darn laptop to a cafe because you should have known your species (yes, us men) cannot multi-task!

Now, onto the Brunch Brawl!

The Farm Cafe

Details: 18 St Heliers St, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Phone (03) 9415 6581

I’ve written about The Farm Cafe before, but I’ve been burning to tell you about this incredible fish pate I had the other day after a seriously loooooong walk around the trail surrounding the Studley Park Boathouse. It’s certainly not your typical Melbourne brunch dish but that’s exactly what made this standout. As soon as the weather starts to warm up, I always think of heading here – the open air, the food and the summer vibes the place just oozes.

The pate, made with mackerel and a generous squeeze of lemon was refreshing, subtle and not as fishy as I thought it would be as I lathered on some thick lashings onto the two slices of bread. I even started to just eat straight from the masonry jar. It’s probably only the second time I’ve ever had fish pate (try the stunning seafood boards at Medhurst Wines, Yarra Valley) and I got a feeling this is my new obsession.

Brother Nancy

Details: 182A Essex St, West Footscray VIC 3012
Phone:0439 318 820

I seem to be gravitating towards the specials board these days. I hardly look at menus instead, relying on either the hosts spiel and recommendations or simply turning my head exorcist style until a specials board has been spotted. Admittedly, it’s part laziness, part wanting to avoid seeing the dreaded ‘smashed avocado with goats fetta and chilli on sourdough’ on another menu.

Brother Nancy has been a godsend in the neighbourhood as locals yearned for a decent coffee. I still can’t believe there’s a cafe here after seeing friends grow up here in the 90’s. One thing hasn’t changed though – look both ways TWICE when crossing the road because cars and buses come outta nowhere fast. I ran like hell as a kid and still run like hell as an adult!

First things first – one thing I need you to be aware of are their cronuts. They are, well, insanely good. My favs to date have been the rhubarb and the salted caramel. Here’s a close up in yo face!

Now we can talk brunch. French fare is the game here and with a French chef heading up the kitchen, you can expect that staples like the Croque Monsieur along with the Croque Madame go down as one the best in Melbourne – so much buttery crunch with oozing bechamel.

One of their most creative dishes has to be one of their daily specials – cured egg, avocado, candied bacon, juicy tomatoes. The avocado’s core replaced with a beautifully cured egg (check it out!) and hats off to the candied bacon with the right balance of sweetness and crisp. I assume the bread was pan fried (?) with butter because I for once, didn’t ask for a side of butter. Did I mention that Cookie the Beagle also approved?

Between Us

Details: 141 Maling Rd, Canterbury VIC 3126
Phone: (03) 9830 7915

If I not only end up at the same cafe week after week but end up getting the same dish 4 times in a row…I AM #KWAZEEOBSESSED

The weirdest thing about my latest obsession is that Between Us cafe is located on the other side of town. Usually that would be enough to put me off or at least, limit it to a one time visit but I’m telling you now, love is love. It has no boundaries. It all started with a random visit to Mailing Road in Canterbury – a total throwback strip of boutique shops and cafes I used to frequent back in the day – I felt like smoked salmon, so in we went.

I ordered the Salmon Bruschetta thinking it was gonna be a one layer of salmon on  some smallish pieces of toast. Nahuh. Homeboy, not only is their smoked salmon fleshy and succulent, but dang, they’re also real generous with the serving too. It’s like I was at a buffet stacking layers upon layers of smoked salmon from the deli section just because I can. Perhaps this is meant to be a sharing dish but nope, no sharing here especially with that smooth dill creme fraiche.

Maillard Toast and Espresso Bar

Details: 2/347 St George’s Road, Fitzroy North

Toast ain’t toast until you’ve been to Maillard at Fitzroy North. I was hesitant thinking, gosh, how special can toast really get?! Wrong. It can be really special. Think toast paying homage to DOC Pizza with all the trimmings of San Danielle Prosciutto, San Marzano Tomato, mozzarella and basil or my favourite, Belgian butter, white anchovies with an impressive dusting of lemon zest and chilli exploding on the plate like playful art.

The winning formula isn’t just about what goes on top on the bread, but more importantly, how it’s so intricately prepared here and ahuh, the bread itself. Artisan breads supplied by Eds Breads (Potato) act as the perfect  backdrop to the premium toppings. Perfectly airy, soft on the pallet with that subtle crunch that doesn’t need any sawing down with a knife.

The savoury items at just the right size, leaves room for more dessert! I can’t choose between Gianduia (Hazelnut creme), crushed hazelnuts and mascarpone or the tahini, honey and pistachio. Both are actually quite amazing so I went back to try both. I’m a super indulgent person and so naturally, I couldn’t go past the Gianduia the first time round as I was in desperate need of some decadence plus I’m a sucker for mascarpone.

It’s raining hazelnuts!

Hash Specialty Coffee Roasters

Details: 113 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC
Phone:0435 895 244

At a time when Hardware Society continues to clog up Hardware Street during weekend brunch hour, as droves of people wait for that coveted table, thankfully, there are now more great choices – bring on Hash Specialty Coffee Roasters. I was invited to try out their new menu that certainly verges on both experimental and downright moreish – take their fried foie gras sliders or even the Mork Hot Chocolate that comes with with towering cotton candy for a spin and you’ll see what I mean.

One of the standouts would definitively be the Leek and Cheddar Croquettes – fried up until golden and crisp, I took the liberty of using these gems to mop up all that sweet cauliflower puree. Without looking at the menu when this dish came out, at a glance, I thought the turmeric poached egg was butternut squash! It was pretty dark where were were sitting which may have further deluded our eyes. How awesome does that look though? Tasted good too (forgot to take an obligatory #yolkporn shot!). Poached eggs to another level.

Also noteworthy is the rice brulee pudding, one of the most gobbled down dishes that day – a dessert and brekkie in one!

Note: Food Rehab dined courtesy of Hash Specialty Coffee Roasters and Zilla and Brook PR. 

Burnham Bakery and Piggery Cafe

Details: 1 Sherbrooke Rd, Sherbrooke VIC 3789
Phone: (03) 9021 2100

Taking my buddy Cookie the Beagle to Burnham Bakery and Piggery Cafe is a hoot because for some strange reason, he totally freaks out when he sees the pigs! Funniest thing ever. They love him to bits though. As soon as they spot or smell Cookie, they awake from their slumber and run towards him to sniff him out. Even when he howls in confusion and tries to runaway, the pigs are just so intrigued by him.

Also popular with the staff, they love to take snaps of Cookie chillin’ – he can be seen on their instagram page giving his wink of approval (below)!

Attention: Dog Owners – the awesome Shannon Bennett has got our backs. Check out the off lead dog park he created on the property to give your little pooch a bit of a stretch and sniff, just don’t forget to pick up yo shit!

We’ve been here a number of times to the point where we now have an ordering routine as follows:

1. Round of lattes and flat whites
2. Plain croissants warmed up with butter
3. Charcuterie board
4. Charcoal chicken platter with house nuggets and seasonal greens
5. Dessert!

You can’t go past the house baked croissants here. Am I the only one who still dips their pastry in coffee? People tend to give me the odd look or two but whatevs. One of my favourite past-times.

A glass of wine and a meaty Charcuterie board is the ultimate way to kick off Spring I say, although for me, the biggest highlight is dem soft yolky eggs. I try to keep these gems to myself offering a large portion of my meat stash in exchange for yolk ownership – sometimes this works, other times I use other forms of bribery. I’d usually break off the bread crusts and just dip away in contentment.

Equally as good is their juicy charcoal chicken platter. The house nuggets go down a treat but when teamed up with their seasonal fresh salads, it’s a winning combo – eggplant being my fav.

And denn no more. That about covers the last round of brunch dates I’ve had recently. Biggest highlights for me were the eggs – they got hella creative this year from the tumeric poached eggs at Hash Specialty Coffee and Roasters to the cured egg that replaced the core of an avocado at Bother Nancy. Very cool indeed. Ok bai.

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 5000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

Jasmine’s has literally brought the Philippines to Melbourne where their passion for Filipino cooking and culture comes to life with their “Kamayan” style grilled platters during their Ihaw Ihaw (grilled) Nights (Thurs- Sun, call first). “Kamayan” pretty much means eating with your hands. They serve the platters so beautifully just like they do back home – on sheets of banana leaves where a plethora of dishes are served on top of an endless bed of rice. The idea is to do away with pesky items that get in the way of enjoying and sharing the food with your friends, like cutlery. I have a pet peeve for people who spend  ten minutes peeling prawns with a spoon and fork or worst yet, using them to eat meat on skewers. WTF?! Stop it. Stop that crap right now.

If the platters weren’t gigantic enough, you also get two starters to ramp up that burning appetite from tangy soup filled with mussels and vegetables to  Lumpiang Prito (fried spring rolls). The latter are incredibly tasty, filled with sauteed veggies and a good way to line the stomachs before the meaty onslaught. The dipping sauce, made with soy and calamansi juice (toyomansi) was a the perfect accompaniment.

When the platters come out, it’s a spectacle as the kitchen doors are held wide open to make way, tables roar with cheer and everyone gets off their chairs to make room for ‘platter touchdown’ pulling out their phones for that infamous #aerial photo shot. Though, even when you do stand up on top of the chairs, it ain’t high enough to capture the enormity of it all!

If you’re extremely polite, you will starve. Fact. Don’t sacrifice your BBQ Pork Skewers for nobody because believe me, someone i.e. ME, won’t even hesitate. A generous amount of of charred fatty bits and that sweet and smokey flavour that only comes through a great marinade. Oh and the generously sized BBQ Chicken Inasal, had a good consistency of sticky, sweet and salty ensuring you lick your fingers as you make your way through that piece of thigh you had first dibs on. Add on some of that Atchara (picked green papaya, pictured to the left of the chicken) – you’ll see why.

A highlight at any Filipino BBQ is Inihaw na Pusit (Grilled Squid) and that remained in check at Jasmine’s. Marinated in vinegar, garlic, salt then stuffed with chopped onions and tomatoes, it’s rotated over the grill and matched with a bowl of that drool inducing tangy soy (toyomansi). Total match.

Eggplant lovers delight in a traditional favouriteTortang Talong (eggplant omelette) and the Tilapia (milkfish) filled with diced onions, tomatoes, seasoned with pepper and lemon scorched over the grill added texture to the zingy flesh.

Continuing on with the seafood mountain (Note: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is a complete lie) there are plenty of prawns and mussels for all and yes, there are vegetables and fruit – Okra, grilled peppers, Atcahara (picked green papaya), ripened papaya and pineapple on skewers!

TIP: pack on the pickled green papaya (below) – with the fried chicken, BBQ Pork, fish and the chicken.

The first time I went, Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly) and Longanisa (cured pork sausages) were in the mix, but they were missing this time round (as pictured on my Instgram feed) replaced with other dishes (just as gewd!) like fried chicken (pictured below) and Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Pork) served alongside a Mang Tomas, a sweet and peppery sauce usually reserved for Lechon. As expected, the skin was crispy and the juiciness of the meat didn’t hold back.

Granted you still have room after the above, you also get dessert! Halo Halo, a signature colorful Filipino dessert I used to make when I was a kid during the summer months, made up of shaved ice, evaporated milk, leche flan (crème caramel), ube (purple yam), mung beans, jackfruit, ice cream and jelly. Halo Halo means ‘mix-mix’ so the idea is to mix it all together until combined and then you can get into it real quick.

Did I mention that they’re also a bakery?! Baked on premises are ensaymada (brioche topped with margarine and sugar), kalihim (filled with ube/purple yam) mamon, pan de coco, orange chiffon cake and more.

There were seven of us, so we ordered two platters thinking we’d be able to demolish it…WRONG! I swear, by the time we got to dessert, I gave birth. I named my food baby Lechon. The ‘Kamayan’ style of eating grilled food presented on banana leaves is already a hit in the US with several Food Trucks even adopting the tradition, so I’m seriously over the moon that Jasmine’s Restaurant has finally ignited this trend in Melbourne. Did I also mention how fun the whole experience is? Do it. Note: make sure you call at least 24 hours ahead in order to book a platter. Don’t just rock up yo.

Zee Details

Jasmine’s Cafe and Resturant

Thursday to Sunday night (dinner) Starts at 7 pm (call at least 24 hours to book) This is subject to change so call them first! Costs: $132 per platter, feeds four adults and comes with Sago Gulaman drinks.

Shop 2 / 85 Mt. Derimmut Road, Deer Park (MAP HERE) Phone: (03) 8358 4834

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasminescafeandrestaurant Web: http://www.jasminescafe.com

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 5000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

After quick glance at all my ‘Cook this dammit’ list, I went ahead and made a hearty pot of Ginataang Manok (chicken stewed in coconut milk) because I’d like to start stocking up on other items apart from coconut milk and the fact that I totally needed a break for all the house renos that’s been ongoing over the last few months. If you’ve ever made my Chicken Tinola, it’s just like that but a creamier, richer and spicier version as my recipe has sliced chilli.  Plus, rather than using a whole bird bones and all, I chose my favourite parts and added chicken stock to give it extreme flava flav. Now some of you Pinoys reading this might be setting your keyboards on fire asking why I didn’t add green papaya and my answer would be that I just didn’t feel like it. I’ve come to realise that, yes, although we must respect the traditions of a treasured recipe, we must also follow our intuitions and go with what seems right at the time and if it works, it works. In fact, some peeps even add eggplant, spinach or bell peppers which I think is totally rad. Recipes need to evolve with the times…just don’t be adding kale. Let’s not go overboard now people.

For all my peeps who love their ‘it’s a soup but really a main’ type dishes, then this is for you. And hey, I’ve cut down the process to make it easier for you too! Do it.

Zee Ingredients

500 gms chicken thighs (skin on)

500 gms chicken wings

3 bunches of bok choy

1 knob of ginger (size of index finger, sliced)

1 onion (chopped up roughly)

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups of coconut milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 table spoons fish sauce

2 green chillies (1 sliced, 1 left whole)

1 bay leaf

Serve with steamed rice

TIP – I always add 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you’re planning on serving it right away. Flava flav. Like with any Filipino dishes, it’s always better the next day.

Zee Procedure

1. Heat a large pot, add oil. On medium heat, add onions, garlic and saute.

2. Drop in dem wings and thighs. Brown that sheeaaaat on both sides

3. Pour in chicken stock, 1 cup of coconut milk, salt, black pepper, green chillies and the onion and garlic set aside earlier. Combine then turn the heat real low for 30 mins.

4. Gently stir every 10 mins

5. Pour in the last can of coconut milk, bay leaf, fish sauce, onion powder and garlic power. Stir, drop in the bok choy to steam at the top (to keep it crisp) then simmer for 10 mins.

6. And dennn…done. Bai.

You’ve been served!

Serve with a tonne of steamed rice, fish sauce and dried shallots of you have them handy. Don’t skimp on the soup – it’s the best part and every spoonful of it gives you dem sticky lips.

Thighs = the best part!!!!!

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

If you’re reading about Filipino spaghetti for the first time, let me give you the low down on the key differences between that and your traditional spaghetti. To sum it up, there are three main differences – it’s way sweeter but not sickly sweet (just how ah like it!) and secondly, there’s sliced Vienna sausages or hotdogs and lastly, there’s a an ingredient that wipes the floor clean with tastiness: banana ketchup. Ahuh, you read right. You may have seen my last sausage roll recipe using this stuff. In addition to banana ketchup, some folks like to add evaporated milk to give it that creamy texture but I like to add condensed milk. You’re probably thinking, aaahh, dude, are you making spaghetti or dulche de leche? I used to add more sugar to the recipe for that ‘X-factor’ sweetness in addition to the evaporated milk but with condensed milk, there’s no need for that homeboy! Also, I don’t like bits of onion invading my dishes but to keep it at maximum ‘flavour flav’, I opt for onion powder instead.

Rules of engagement for extreme slurp factor!

When it comes to serving this dish, I don’t engage in any type of foolery – I never ever (well I did once, sorry friends!) serve Filipino Spaghetti in a big bowl already combined with the sauce. I’ve been to countless house parties where the poor dish just sits there drying out in a big ass bowl. I swear, it loses its slurp factor! It gets cold, the spaghetti gets all mushed up from folks digging into it like they were trying to find that elusive prawn not to mention the sauce no longer juicy and crimson red.  You need to give your guests the opportunity to pour over the piping hot, sweet porkified sauce over the pasta themselves…or do it for them one plate at a time.

Do the right thing.

(Purposely styled with a green plate: Christmas Spaghetti!)

Zee Ingredients

600 gms pork mince (not lean!)

3 Vienna sausages or hotdogs sliced diagonally

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can peeled vine ripened tomatoes

2 cups of banana ketchup (available at a Filipino grocer)

1 cup chicken liquid stock

1/4 cup condensed milk

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

Grated American cheese (to serve)

Zee Procedure

1. Boil the crap outta the pasta according to the package instructions, drain and set aside

2. Grab a frying pan, chuck it on medium heat. Squirt on some oil and add the sliced Vienna sausages. Cook for 3 minutes and set aside.

3. Chuck a saucepan on medium heat, squirt on some oil then chuck in the minced MURRRRT.  Break it up as you stir for 3 minutes.

4. Pour in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, banana ketchup, chicken stock, salt, pepper, onion powder and turn the heat down to a simmer for a good 30-40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and breaking up the tomatoes until it has thickened.

5. Add the condensed milk and Vienna sausages then stir until combined. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Taste.

Slow cook that sauce!

You’ve Been Served!

Waaaah. I forgot to grate on some of that American cheese for this pic – make sure you don’t make the same mistake. It ain’t the same without it.

Remember, never ever serve Filipino Spaghetti in a big bowl already combined with the sauce. Let your guests do their thaaang. Oh, and don’t wear white…like I did.

Grab yo bib!

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

In the tradition of my last hunt for Melbourne’s best charcoal chicken, I decided to do the same for lamb ribs and well, my love for all kinds of fat drippin’ meat in general. You know how I do. The criteria for this post was simple foolz: ‘MUUURRRT I chowed down whilst soaking in the sun!’

Some cool joints I wanna highlight in time for our long awaited warmer months are Melbourne’s newest kids on the block being Jardin Tan and Bluebonnet BBQ as well as trusted haunts from the hidden Little Berties (Berties Butcher) to Yarraville’s Food Trucks where they all have one thing in common – alfresco dining areas take center stage plus charred meat of course.

Bluebonnet BBQ

Have you seen the awesome foodie film Chef? Not to spoil the movie or anything, but there’s a scene where the main character and his son make a trip to Austin eventually joining the long queue for ribs and brisket from the famous Franklin Barbeque. I’ve never looked at ribs the same way again. The way the film showcased the passion the ‘pitmasters‘ in Texas had for their art of smoking meat and then the cutting into the meat fresh from the smoker sent me into a tailspin to find something similar in Melbourne. As you may have guessed, there isn’t a plethora of places that do it like they do in Texas but thankfully, Bluebonnet BBQ literally does. Owner, Chris Terlikar, inspired by his time spent in the US learning from the best pit bosses in Texas, wanted to recreate that experience back home and for that, we are eternally grateful for!

Using iron bark, meats enter the smoker (made out of a nightclub smoke machine from Crown Casino!) and are slow cooked to their tender form. Cooking time and temperature is key.

The beef brisket (Ranger’s Valley Black Angus), although trimmed down still presented a good layer of fat and was rendered so perfectly. The blackened crust and the red smoke ring underneath was a sight to see and tasted as good as it looked. As expected, it soaked up all the smoke and was juicy throughout. It certainly didn’t need any of their BBQ sauce. Normally I’d take ribs over beef brisket any day but in this instance, brisket was king.

Tucking into the lamb ribs was an experience in itself, almost ritual like as I made my way through the incredible lamb crackling and then ripping into the juicy meat that all just literally slid off the bone after the first tear. Seasoned well, meat never tasted so good.

From this…

To this…

And in ma mouth…

With all this protein, perhaps some green sides other than cornbread would have been handy to break things up (the other table’s Brussel sprouts prompted some food envy) but not to fret, there was always dessert. Salted caramel and doughnuts is the ultimate combo in my books. With a fully stocked stomach, I had the best sleep that night. BEST.

Yarraville Food Trucks – Hammer & Tong + Gorilla Grill

When food trucks initially popped up in my hood Yarraville, they were parked on Hyde Street and didn’t really take off. Firstly, they were a out of view from most dog walkers and secondly, for most of us lazy folk, they were too far from the main area. When they were eventually permitted to line themselves on the other side where the Farmers Markets are usually held, everything changed. Even in the colder months, people started queuing up but during summer, HOMEBOY, it turns into a mini festival full of all kinds of folk and every possible dog breed. I’m out at Yarraville Gardens most nights post November.

I’m immediately drawn to all the food trucks grilling meat, so Gorilla Grill is always on the cards. Positioned as ‘American kitchen meets the streets of Asia”, this food truck pumps out all kinds of charred goodness from ribs, pork belly and even fried chicken.

Think Asian style marinated meats paired with a side of slaw and a cob of corn. My ultimate fav on the menu is their Korean pork belly with the ribs coming close. There’s something nostalgic about the way their dishes tastes. I guess it reminds me of our family backyard barbecues where mum would cook up a selection of meats with the majority being pork of course, using a marinade of sweet soy, garlic, lemon, honey, pepper and her secret ingredient resulting in crispy yet marshmallowly fatty edges cooked over burning charcoal served with a side of atchara (my recipe here) aka pickled green papaya.

Another worthy mention is Hammer & Tong. I’ve eaten at their cafe a few times and was hella intrigued when they chose to go down the food truck route. A guy walked passed me carrying with him some food gold aka lamb ribs and I didn’t hesitate to ask him where the heck he got those from and when the words “Hammer & Tong” blurted outta his mouth, I ran. I ran like a pit-bull was on my ass and ordered fast. I needed those ribs. I couldn’t handle the wait. Unlike my Cola Lamb Ribs recipe,  these are slow cooked for 12 hours, their lamb ribs are the kind of ribs that are THAT good, you wish you could eat the bone. The meat came off the bone without falling off, which was great as I got to gnaw on the bone a little longer for last meat pickings. The balance between sweet and a lingering spicy note from the sichuan pepper was on point and on that note, I immediately got seconds because unfortunately, I had to share. Geeze!

Get down to Yarraville Gardens to soak up the sun, good vibes and the fatty food. Oh and bring YO dog!

Mr Burger

Jardin Tan

Recently opened, Jardin Tan was on my hit-list soon after it launched. I’m an unmotivated jogger, turned powerwalker (yes, people still do that!) and occasionally, I make my way through a portion of The Tan on my lunch breaks. After such a mammoth task (yes, to me it is), a heavy meal would usually follow of course.

One thing that immediately stands out at Jardin Tan is the incredible design. From what the space used be previously, it has done a 360. Its fresh open spaces merging both indoor and outdoor dining areas flushing in cool breezes from its minimalist garden that surrounds the deck. But apart from the design, you gotta check out all the sweet treats on display. At the time of my first visit, they were all being curated by the friendly chap Shannon Bennet, who personally ensured all desserts were all ‘eye feast ready’. Tempted by the thought of escargot, I asked that it be warmed up so I could make full use of my butter.

I’m ready

Pho with rare wagyu beef was in order and to my surprise, the broth was poured at the table. It came with a crusty roll which I also happily slathered with butter and dipped into the hot broth.

The game changed when a red basket of dem Flinders Island lamb ribs came to the table. For reals, I dropped errthang, even my experimental almond milk I randomly laced with panela sugar, pulled my sleeves up and dived in. Sticky, slightly spicy, sweet and smokey, lamb ribs never tasted so good. Make sure you keep dipping at that sauce – addictive! Next time, I’m only ordering this and a bowl of steamed rice so my life can be complete again.

Little Berties (rear of Berties Butcher)

Typical Melbourne where all the really great eateries are either hidden in a laneway or lack any form of signage! I work right near Berties Butcher and having gone there for years, I had no freakin idea there was my soon to be fav lunch spot right out the back. You have to cut through the car park facing East Richmond train station to get into Little Berties. Ripe for the summer months, Berties Butcher leveraged off the popularity of their fine meats by installing a smoker at the rear and decked it out primarily, with outdoor cafe style seating. I along with my workmates have been happy campers ever since.

On the chalkboard are the changing daily menu items. Ordering is simple – choose one or more meats of the day (pulled pork, beef rib, brisket etc.. all prepared whilst you and I are sound asleep) and one of their tasty sides from slaw, a super food salad to roasted veg. They also do brekkie! Today I went with pulled pork where I built a sandwich with the brioche roll that came with the dish. I may or may not have stuffed it too much deeming it total a photo fail.

Driving around Melbourne in search of the best ribs and charred meats alike was the perfect way to start Spring. Onto the next meat-athon!

Carrot. I get a carrot?!!

Zee Details

Bluebonnet BBQ 187 Johnston St Collingwood, VIC 3066 Phone: 03 9972 1815

Yarraville Food Trucks – Hammer & Tong, Gorilla Grill Corner Somerville Road/ Hyde Street Yarraville, Victoria, Australia 3013 Follow Hammer & Tong on twitter and Gorilla Grill on Facebook for availabilities as they may vary night to night

Jardin Tan Royal Botanic Gardens/Birdwood Ave South Yarra, Victoria Phone: 03 90212111

Little Berties 218 Swan St, Richmond VIC 3121 Phone:(03) 9428 2655

Where ma BBQ fiends at?!

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

I’m listening to Nat King Cole right now to help me piece together all the craziness that was and sippin’ on some honey lemon tea to mend my man flu. Now, I can’t possibly write about errrthang but I’m about to cram a whole heap into this one post so put the kettle on and make yoself a cup O tea chaaald!

Melbourne Writers Festival – how I published my book

Come to think of it, I’ve rarely spoken about being an ‘authorpreneur’ and the process behind producing the book. It wasn’t until I was approached by the Melbourne Writers Festival about whether I wanted to speak on self- publishing that this sudden realisation hit. Weird huh! Although I was a wee bit hesitant about getting up on stage to talk about my experience on this topic in front of nearly fifty people, Yas (Wandering Spice) was really supportive throughout the dealio ever since the time we had spoken on a panel together during the Emerging Writers Festival! Yas is just one of those people I automatically click with. We both love hip hop and obviously food – congratulations mama on yet another successful festival!

I spoke about why I chose to go down the route of self-publishing as opposed to a traditional publisher, the ins and outs of the publishing industry, the distribution channels I went with and the marketing that helped drive my sales. Thanks to Kate Larsen who was such a fantastic moderator.

I’ll tell you straightout – if you’re thinking about self-publishing, it ain’t easy BUT I would seriously do it all over again especially on a project so close to the heart. You have total creative control, set your own deadlines and you learn how to effectively, run a business which is priceless.  I seriously think that 2014 is the year of the self-publisher – we now account for 31% of total daily eBook sales regardless of genre according to Amazon.com plus there are so many distribution avenues now compared to when I started the process four years ago. I promised I would keep things short so ‘m planning to write a separate post on the five stages (Research, Writing, Production, Distribution and Marketing) for those interested in my journey. My one piece of advice is to start a blog from the very start. Use it to document progress, build your personal brand, cultivate a following and most of all – keep up the momentum.

The crowd was really receptive and a large group came to see me afterwards telling me how inspired they were which was really touching – thank you. I have a tonne of emails I need to respond to as a result and hopefully, I can help others in their own journeys.  That in itself makes it all worthwhile.

Filming two episodes for the Travel Channel

Something I don’t have is cable, so when travelling,  I would always take up the opportunity to indulge myself in some trashy TV, Discovery channel and of course, the Travel Channel when the hotel throws cable in for free. However, never did I ever think I would actually end up on one of those channels! LOL. Does this mean I finally have a reason to fork out $80 per month for Foxtel? Kidding aside, when the producer behind the Travel Channel asked if I wanted to appear on an episode about Spicy Food, I gave a ahuh plus, they even agreed to let me bring along some of my favourite peeps to come support me on the show.

I basically had to devour some of the hottest dishes in town and describe how freakin hot they were and homeboy, I didn’t need to exaggerate. At the end of the first shoot, I guess they liked my acting (I was just my normal crazy self  BTW), they then asked me to do another segment abut the best pies in Melbourne which I did on my own. I had heaps of fun and the crew was hella cool. They’re next stop is Europe!

Speaking at the Emerging Writers Festival – Food for Thought

When it comes to food – if I’m not eating it, I’m cooking it, if I’m not cooking it, I’m writing about it and if I’m not writing about, I’m thinking about it 24/7. Not kidding. So when it came to talking about all things food writing at the Emerging Writers Festival, it felt natural to me. Nervous at first, but eventually natural! I was super happy to find out that I was joining a panel of friends from the awesome Yas who asked me to participate, Lauren who was a fantastic moderator and Kylie who was really cool.

We each spoke about our own experiences  when it came to food photography,  blog platforms and design, how our blogs have evolved over the years, where food writing was heading, social media and how micro blogging has somewhat replaced commenting on blogs and the varying writing styles.

I mentioned that writing is just a muscle, so make it a habit to flex it throughout the week. Don’t stop writing. I’ve written about this topic several times on the blog, but never in front of an audience which was truly, an enlightning experience. When I was confronted with questions whether they were personal in nature or about my blog/book, unlike responding to comments on a blog post, I felt like I could open up more and to me, my responses were more raw, unrehersed and to the point. There wasn’t an opportunity to skirt around any tough questions or to rewrite a draft post. Sometimes you get so caught up in the blogsphere that you often forget that many folks don’t even know what a food blog is.

We also spoke quite heavily on how important it was to be your authentic self rather than simply copying someone else’s persona or style of writing. Basically, how can you get your blog to stand out from the millions of other blogs? BE YOUR TRUE SELF DAMMINIT!

We really gelled as a team and most importantly, we were able to inspire others to take the leap and write, write, write!

Cool mentions – The Age, The Filipino Australian, De La Salle College Alumni magazine and HotelClub

As a self publisher, you don’t have a machine aka a major publishing house with a marketing budget and a project team, so any form of promo is super cool to help drive awareness and to keep up the momentum for your product. I’m happy to say that even two years after the release of What the heck is Filipino Food, it’s still selling and going strong but that’s not without alot of self effort.

Although getting a mention in The Age and HotelClub’s Top Blogger series were great, it was the actually the latter two publications that was pretty special. Being recognised in your own community means alot, so when I was asked by uber cool writer and food blogger Anna if I she could write a piece on me for The Filipino Australian, I gave a hells yasss. My high school, De La Salle College also ran a piece on me for their Alumni magazine which was also rad. I’m still shocked that it published because never in my high school years did I ever think I would end up where I am and neither would my old classmates. To put it lightly, I wasn’t exactly the the best student! waaaah

What have I been eating? Top Eats of THA moment

It’s been a while since my last Top 5 EATS of THA Moment post, so I thought I’d give you a an extra sumthin’ sumthin’!

Town Mouse

312 Drummond St, Carlton VIC 3053

Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella came down to Melbourne to speak at the Melbourne Writers Festival so Daisy got us blog folk Sarah, Shellie and Ewen together for a feast at The Town Mouse.  We put down $70 each and  took the waiter’s recommendation of selected dishes. The funniest thing was when we THOUGHT the mains were over, there was yet another onslaught of even bigger mains that caught us off guard. It was like as if lamb and steak bombs were being dropped. Ricky ended up dusting it all off for the team because even I couldn’t deal.

Biggest highlight? Dessert. One stood out for me: Lime posset  – apparently, what was once a medieval drink has made a revival as a dessert. Oh, and there was match in there too which is what I really cared about. Refreshing as hell but decedent made possible by the white chocolate inclusion.

A totally rad night full of inappropriate chatter and was it was finally great to meet cha Lorraine in person after so many years of commenting on each others blog! Thanks again for some of the best chocolates I’ve had all year.

Group pic thanks to Lorraine!

I’ve been making batches of Filipino aka Jollibee style Spaghetti lately with banana ketchup. So good – sweet, spicy, tangy and porky. Blog post coming soon.

#TTVN Night at Bomba

103 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Oh the Trashy TV crew did again. This time round Ash, Wince and crew decided we do an Italian theme so of course, we made a heap of pasta whilst we watched too much trashy TV. Think Love and Hip Hop, Real Housewives of Atlanta etc…so bad but so good.

The next #TTVN night was not spent watching trashy TV but something of substance… for once! We hit the town for the long awaited Les Miserables and of course, we had to find a swanky place for our pre-theater draaanks and dinner. Ash recommended Bomba and having tried some of Anada’s dishes some months ago, I was keen.

Rhubarb ice cream with apple jelly. What I didn’t expect was for the candied walnuts to match  but it was a perfect play of tart vs. sweet flavours that we all went crazy for. It was actually a recommendation by the lovely @nolamjames

The whole meal was a stonegroove and they were really nice to take into consideration our Les Mis theater obligations by rushing out the food for us. We were happy campers.

San Telmo – one word: MUUUUURRRRRT!

14 Meyers Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000

The smell of charred meat just hits you as soon as you walk in. Although it was hard to decide, my fav would have to be the beef asado. It was meat perfection – fatty in all the places teamed up with spoonfulls of chimmichurri, hello! I can’t believe I waited this long to eat at San Telmo but it was certainly worth the wait.

Yeonga Korean BBQ

1 Cobden St, North Melbourne VIC 3051

I reckon this year alone, I’ve been to Yeonga 20 times…at least! I’m obsessed. You can’t go past their marinated beef rib and their spicy seafood hot pot. Actually, errthang is top quality and you won’t find any frozen meats here either. My number one rule when it comes to Korean BBQ is: if it ain’t pure charcoal, it ain’t worth a visit. Know that.

Kettle Black

50 Albert Rd, South Melbourne 3205

There’s only one savoury dish I order at Kettle Black – Ocean Trout Tataki. Over and over again, without fail. Surrounded by a forest of lightly dressed shredded kale salad and two poached egg boobs (hihihihi!), the ocean trout having having being sous vide for 12 hours, is rich and buttery in texture almost as if it was meant to fall apart as soon as you make that first incision, but it keeps it’s form. Another bonus about the trout is that you definitely have room for dessert – hotcakes anyone?

Napoleon Cake at European Flavour

823 Glen Huntly Rd, Caulfield South Victoria 3162

How I found about European Flavour was totally random and I don’t feel like like telling the whole dayem story but, I will mention that I have since been back and forth so many times and I would usually buy a whole Napoleon Cake cake just for myself.

Layers of custard cream, this Russian Vanilla Slice has certainly been worth the drive from the westside. And no, I will not share!

And whoop, there it is! That’s it for now. I’m working on a few other cool things that I’ll hopefully update you on soon but for now, keep eating!

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

]]> https://foodrehab.com.au/2014/08/31/tha-spill-what-the-heck-has-been-goin-on-plus-my-top-eats-of-tha-moment/feed/ 5 https://foodrehab.com.au/2014/07/13/spicy-banana-ketchup-cheesy-sausage-rolls/ https://foodrehab.com.au/2014/07/13/spicy-banana-ketchup-cheesy-sausage-rolls/#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2014 00:13:41 +0000 http://foodrehab.com.au/?p=7457 Shut.Up. Yo, it’s mid July?!

Aaaaahhh know I’ve struggled to mention anything remotely great about winter, but there’s one place that mega EATUUURRRS like me tend to appreciate more in the colder months – THE KITCHEN! Why?! Let’s see, we got some fan forced oven action warming up the room filling the air with the smell of sunday roast and in the mornings, we get to thaw our hands over the toaster. In fact, just going off Instagram alone, you can always depend on an endless stream of baking posts. See! It ain’t all bad – just don’t go outside lol. Plonk yourself down on the couch, watch some trashy TV and eat cake or in this case, hot sausage rolls.

When I think of sausage rolls, I think of primary school. The time when $1 would buy you a whole sausage roll, a prima juice and you would order it by stuffing a brown paper bag with coinage and  giving it to the amazing tuckshop ladies. Good times.

For my sausage roll recipe, I used Banana Ketchup. You’re probably thinking, what the heck is that?! Popular back home in the Philippines, it is made from mashed up bananas, spices, garlic and is sweeter than ketchup but has the same texture. Despite the name, it doesn’t really taste like bananas but it does pack a little spicy punch which is exactly why I go bizerk over it.

Zee Ingredients

Serves 6 absolute pigs

For the filling

300 grms Pork Mince (I’m not biased, I’m not biased, ok yes, I’m not biased!)

200 grams beef mince (not lean!!!)

3 red chilies minced

1/2 cup of Banana ketchup (avail at Filipino grocers)

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 onion diced finely

1 handful of chopped parsley

Salt and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 grated zucchini

1 grated carrot

A handful of grated cheddar cheese

For the pastry

Ready rolled puff pastry thawed ( I swear by Careme Puff Pastry..buttery goodness)

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to sprinkle over pastry

1 egg yolk  and 1 tablespoon of dollop cream for the egg wash to make them nice and golden. Milk will do but I get good results with cream plus I luuuurve cream!

Zee Procedure

1. Preheat yo oven to 180C (fan forced). Grab yo large bowl and add the mince, cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, banana ketchup, paprika, chilli, zucchini and carrot. Using your hands, combine well until the meat has evenly soaked up all the ingredients. Add the rest – breadcrumbs, eggs. Combine then set aside.

2. Egg Wash: In a small bowl, add the egg yolk and milk and whisk. Set aside for later FOOL!

3. Throw some flour onto a flat surface and lay down the pastry. Cut each into even rectangular pieces

4. Grab a handful of the filling laying it in the centre of the pastry. We want to get as even spread of meat between the sheets. Start to distribute the meat from one end to the other forming a lean ‘log’. We don’t want it to be too thick. Repeat.

5. Fold both sides meeting at the top forming a log then take out that bowl of egg wash you set aside earlier and brush the pastry where they join to seal the deal , but don’t soak it ok…gaaashh.

6. Tear up some baking paper for the baking tray, lay down dem logs (sealed side down) then slice them into your desired sizes.

7. Brush with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle those sesame seeds like Mariah Carey did on American Idol!

8. Put em’ in the oven for 30 mins until golden brown.

You’ve been served!

Dip away into more of that Banana ketchup!

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Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

We share a passion for…well, lotsa food and I like to think that he was a born Brunch Hunter. A Brunch Genius even. In fact, this post wouldn’t even be possible without him. It all started with a walk to Footscray Market before the trip to Adelaide when Cookie, who, armed with a nose that can smell a cherry pie baking several suburbs away, made a quick turn to the right and pulled us ‘300 style’ towards something I must have totally missed during previous runs to the market –  Guerrilla Espresso. From that moment on, I carried extra doggy treats on our brunch expeditions to thank him for always being there to either cheer me up or to randomly guide me to the newest local cafes.

He gets beef jerky, I get poached eggs.

Guerilla Espresso

81 Hopkins St, Footscray VIC 3011
Phone: (03) 9995 4054

Although I grew up on the other side of town, most of my friends lived in the westside, so Footscray was one of our frequent haunts especially when it came to the suburb’s most well known treats Banh Mi, Pho and of course, Olympic Doughnuts. Plus, I didn’t really wanna travel all the way to St Albans to get my Pho fix to then face a two hour train ride back to the east.  Now, fast forward a decade, WTH, great coffee has been hitting the streets of Footscray and with that, comes more brunch choices on my side of town big momma.

Guerilla Espresso, adjacent to the beloved Footscray Market, uses Seven Seeds as part of their daily grind which I’m happy about as I also use their house blend at home. I was all giddy after having two cups. As much as I like to think I can made a decent cuppa at home, who the hell am I kidding?!

Figs. I feel that I don’t even need to write anything else. But figs with honey, mascarpone layered on some homemade crumpets?! All I wanted to do was grab the time travel controller and press repeat. Ha! Can you imagine that? The things I would get up to… It would have to limited to humans though because Cookie the beagle would absolutely go BISERK. Treat time and belly rubs would be on replay for sure.

Feast of Merit

117 Swan Street Richmond, VIC
Phone: (03) 9428 8480

My workmates think know I’m totally obsessed with Feast of Merit and that homeboy, would be ON POINT. No lie. The premises itself has changed hands several times so on the way to get my ‘green’ juice from new kid on Swan st, Nutrition Bar, one day (who by the way have the best raw protein balls…no pun intended I swear jajajaja) during my short-lived health week, I had to do a double take to notice that Feast of Merit opened up shop.

The social enterprise (YGAP) driven cafe has been able to achieve something that I thought was impossible – have me coming back at least three times a week for salad. Yess…salad. I’ll tell you why. They are salad geniuses for reals. Centered around freshness, raw ingredients and seasonality, they have daily special (my fav being the chickpea, lentils, greens with beets)  and another three permanent varieties that scream tasty packed with roasted dutch carrots, cous cous, mint, broad beans to cauliflower, string beans and currants. Their beets even come pickled and roasted.

You can also choose between ahuh, three ‘protien’ choces that are premium – Milawa Chicken, fish (changes daily) and my personal fav, a tender piece of char grilled Hopkins River beef with dem fatty edges and a dollop of horseradish that gives a nice kick up the nostril. Slice that sheeat up…UP!

I wouldn’t do more than one protein paired with one salad. Trust and believe. You can walk out feeling good or you can leave feelling like you gotta  go back to the office and sleep under your damn desk catching them ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Drinks-wise, they also know how to put it down. My drink of choices are their Mandela that tastes like creamy Milo on a bender filled with earths goodness like chia seeds and raw cacao, chai made with almond milk and a piccolo cuz you know how  love me some coffee.

Good food , good cause, DO IT.

Stranded Store

14 The Strand Colonel Light Gardens, SA
Phone: 08 8177 2220

Something I needed to do as soon as we arrived in Adelaide was brunch. Everytime I travel, the first thing I do, is find out where I can grab breakfast or brunch. I’d usually get talking with the locals. Armed with the right spot, you get an insight into the culture, how the locals live and what they eat. Total avoidance of the tourist traps is on top of my list.

Stranded Store, tucked away in a treed lined suburban street, can easily be missed…well we missed it! Overly excited fools. It may have been been our erratic driving skills in an unfamiliar territory, but thankfully, there’s a collection of tables out the front that screamed “Yo schleper, we’re here.”

Polished floorboards, the smell of fresh bread and the fittings of a gutted out house turned cafe give the place a sense of ‘home.’ The seasonal menu, all sourced from produce rich South Australia, focuses on that ‘just picked’ freshness that shone through from the Kangaroo Islandpoached eggs, the bright leafy greens (asparagus was YASSS) to the Harris smoked salmon and their thick cut house baked bread. Certainly NOT ew.

The highlight for me was dipping into dem Kill Bill yellow poached eggs. That was enough to warrant the second visit.

Red Door Bakery

22 Elizabeth street, Croydon SA 5008
Phone: (08) 8340 0306

Of all places in Adelaide, I was most excited about Red Door Bakery, not only for their creme brulee tarts but I was also catching up with the very cool, Christine, who had also recommended the joint.

The counter, clad with an abundance of sugar laced treats, sent my mind into overload due to the amount of incredible choices along with the sweet smells of butter, bread and coffee beans.

Traditional items like almond croissant and danishes were easy targets whereas their signature delights – creme brulee tarts and the curly whirly Cinnamon Bunnies I just HAD to have. By time we ordered, our table was littered with enough dishes to feed Homer and by the time we finished up, I looked like a doughnut as I was dusted in sugar inside and out. I’m not a messy eater at all…

Christine recommended their sausage rolls made with Berkshire free range pork served with a sweet and spicy chilli jam. Wow. I then launched onto the traditional chicken paaaah that also went so well with the chilli jam.

PLONK!

Our stomachs were probably thinking WTF as we hopped back and forth from sweet to savoury then back to sweet unknowingly as were so lost in conversation. By the time we finished up, I was feeling a little to heavy for a swim but we stuck to our plan of hitting up Glenelg beach…and got a stitch. Fools.

Rosey’s Cafe

139 Unley Road, Unley 5061
(parking at rear, off Frederick Street)
Phone: 08 722 50690

After waking up to a sugar hangover after a night of trying out Adelaide’s famous Dessert Bars; something that is truly unique to Adelaide, we decided to end the trip with a final brunch stop.

Rosey’s Cafe was actually recommended by the awesome staff at The Aviary Dessert Kitchen (one of Adelaide’s best Dessert Bars!) and as soon as we got there, we immediately knew why. It felt like we were in a cosy Edwardian home with vintage throwback chairs that I wanted to take home, polished floorboards and what-do-ya-know, a hanging bottle sculpture over the counter. Too rad.

On with the food. I haven’t had Corn fritters in years, so it was an easy choice especially when I saw that it came with Harris Smoked Salmon. I’ve had my fair share of bad fritters which is probably why I’ve been avoiding them – soggy, overly thick and cold comes to mind. At Rosey’s however, the fritters were in fact, a stonegroove. Perfect height, crisp edges, right amount of kernels and yes, hot.

Cobb lane

13 Anderson Street Yarraville, VIC
Phone: 03 9687 1538

Ahhh, Cobb Lane.

Being a Yarraville local, I swear I must’ve walked past it fifty times whilst it was being decked out and when it finally opened doors, I went BA…nanas. As you might’ve seen on my Instagram feed, I ran in and stuffed my face with all kinds doughnuts like their signature salted caramel variety – a doughnut nobody can deny. In fact they’re so good that these Matt Forbes sugar dusted creations are being supplied to other cafes around town such as another fav of mine, South Melbourne Market’s Clement Coffee. I know this first hand because I, without even noticing grabbed a dozen of these gems last time I was at the market. Well, that and a dozen of the South Melbourne footy sized Dim Sims.

The most recent visit or should I say VISITS was straight after the Adelaide trip. The initial visit, I had one goal in mind; try something new. So I avoided the counter-top bathing in doughnuts and goy myself an ice cream sandwich instead. Slicker than your average, the strawberry ice cream is infused with aniseed for a nice cut through and welcomed contrast to the overall sweetness all held together by crumbly shortbread. You can easily share this but why would you?!

Oh, yes, I did end up getting something besides sweets! Just another thing Cobb Lane specialises in is bread, so naturally, I grabbed their coronation sandwich to tick off my goal  of trying something new. Thick soughdough slices with beautiful crusts filled with a generous pieces of chicken coated in creamy mayo and a good amount of curry. Gewd sanga.

The second time was with TT. I’ll let the below dishes speak for themselves but what I had, chaald it was a stonegroove.

Yolky egg flowing into handcut potatoes, sweet corn kernels showered in cheese.

Little Man

Address: 158 Victoria St, Seddon VIC 3011

Phone:(03) 9687 8881

Joining fellow cafes (Common Galaxia, Seddon Deadly Sins) lined up on Victoria Street in Seddon comes another westside gem, Little Man.

I’m gonna go straight in and say that as soon as I saw how the toast soldiers were served, I was already sold. I think the picture below describes it best. Think ‘I’m a big kid now!’ I had no shame dunkin’ my lil’ soldiers on a toy car themed plate. None. In fact, it made it that more enjoyable as I friends pointed at me and laughed the whole time.  They were just filled with envy.

I also ordered the smashed avocado topped with pomegranate which was a little strange at first but quickly became a fan of the idea, even going as far as trying it at home.

The place looks great, airy, filled with natural light and dishes created and plated so meticulously. This goes for the coffee too.  Grab a couple of their croissants on the way out. You’ll see why.

Corinthians

37 Old Geelong Rd Hoppers Crossing, VIC
Phone: 03 8742 4009

When it comes to coffee on this end of the west, Corinthians take the crown. I never would have imagined I’d be gunning down a cup of 5 Senses this end of town. Bad coffee? Ain’t nobody got time for dat.

The cafe has taken the suburb of Hoppers Crossing by storm. On a Saturday morning, locals roll in like Myer on Boxing Day. I had to get on a waiting list like as if I were lining up for a cafe in the inner northside. So surreal. My sister in law, an avid coffee connoisseur recommended Corinthians and hella glad she did.

By the time we got a seat, it was pretty much lunch, so I grabbed their spaghetti that came with char-grilled prawns and crimson red cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness.

Silo By Joost

123 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone:(03) 9600 0588

Silo by Joost has been around for quite some time now but everytime I found myself in Hardware Street, I would always end up at my cbd fav, Hardware Societe. This time round however, I veered to the left and plonked myself down to finally try this place I’ve heard so much about. I was a huge fan of Greenhouse by Joost during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival a few years back so I was pweety excited.

There are a few tables outside and a communal inside so on a weekend, although worth the wait,  larger groups may struggle. Having nearly overdosed on cured salmon in Adelaide, I decided to continue on with the cured everything route. Ooooohhh…living on the edge right. Don’t judge. If you had only witnessed how amazing it was to pop that 65/65 degree egg and see the yolk just flow onto the bright orange flesh, you’d see why I go absolutely bizerk. It may sound like I’m exaggerating and perhaps, writing this after gunning  down a tub of butter pecan ice cream may be the cause, but I speak to the TRUTH homeboy.

While you’re at it, grab a glass of their fresh OJ too. Gewd stuff on a warm day.

The Kitchen at Weylandts

200 Gipps Street Abbotsford, VIC
Phone: 03 9445 5911

With outlets in South Africa, Weylandts opened its doors in Melbourne at the tailend of last year. Taking up residence in Abbotsford, the incredibly large floor space is filled with some of the most beautiful furniture I’ve ever seen from gigantic iron lamps lamps that seriously belong on the set on Indiana Jones, meticulously handcrafted coffee tables to classic soft leather chairs and pillows paying homage to Hershey Chocolate. I swear, if my credit card had a larger limit…. I wanted it all!

The cafe also grasps their ‘homely’ theme – a schnazzzy fit-out with hanging lights, oak tables lined up so perfectly symmetrical and that darn cake display that had everyone gushing as they walked past. I kept my emotions on the down-low as casually wondered over for a viewing as I wiped my drool off the glass casing.

My mind was telling me to go with one of their fixed brekkie items like the dukkah eggs but my body as craving some weird shit that morning so I ended up with a mixed bag of customised tid bits – two kinds of toast (sour cherry, ciabatta) with jam and butter, a bowl of their creamy scramble, plum danish (from the darn cake display!) and the saucy pizza.

The pizza, plated on on of their signature serving boards made of oak was exceptional with dabs of sweet, ripened capotana. Good for sharing.

On the liquid end of things, I went with the running theme of something out of the ordinary and traded my usual flat white for their Red Latte which tasted like a cross between a chai and a standard latte sweetened with honey. LIKE!

I’m saving up for my next trip back to The Kitchen at Weylandts or at least, calling my bank for a increase to my credit limit.

And denn…bai bai!

Oh, by the way. This ain’t one of dem gazillion cafes in 48 hours posts. This was undertaken during my two week break that actually involved a tonne of ‘treat yo body as a temple’ moments from exercise, massages, binge eating and body boarding. jajajajajajajaja!

I’ll save you from scrolling around the place like a hot mess:

Guerilla Espresso

81 Hopkins St, Footscray VIC 3011
Phone: (03) 9995 4054

Feast of Merit

117 Swan Street Richmond, VIC
Phone: (03) 9428 8480

Stranded Store

14 The Strand Colonel Light Gardens, SA
Phone: 08 8177 2220

Red Door Bakery

22 Elizabeth street, Croydon SA 5008
Phone: (08) 8340 0306

Rosey’s Cafe

139 Unley Road, Unley 5061
(parking at rear, off Frederick Street)
Phone: 08 722 50690

Cobb lane

13 Anderson Street Yarraville, VIC
Phone: 03 9687 1538

Little Man
Address: 158 Victoria St, Seddon VIC 3011
Phone:(03) 9687 8881

Corinthians

37 Old Geelong Rd Hoppers Crossing, VIC
Phone: 03 8742 4009

Silo By Joost

123 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone:(03) 9600 0588

The Kitchen at Weylandts

200 Gipps Street Abbotsford, VIC
Phone: 03 9445 5911

BONUS!!

Demitri’s Feast

141 Swan St, Richmond VIC 3121
Phone: (03) 9428 8659

You really thought I’d end this post without a banger! Chaald, take a seat and say AAAAAAH as I tell you about the crumpets at Demitri’s Feast. I’ve written about this cafe before in a previous post so I won’t go into too much detail.

It had been months since my last visit so I thought that being quite a balmy day, I’d take advantage of their courtyard and have me some brunch. Still recovering from overdosing on marinated meat at Korean BBQ the night before, the last thing I wanted was a big breakfast so I opted for crumpets. Owner, Jim Karabagias, has taken your everyday crumpets to Greece evident by the lashings of creamy yoghurt , crushed pistachio and drizzled with sweet wild thyme honey. A true innovator – check out his signature Baklava French Toast. YERM and a half.

So there you have it. I started the post with crumpets and ended it with…

More cafe hopping action this way

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to dining out, I look forward to dessert the most. It’s my kryptonite. In fact, when it comes to some of my favourite restaurants, I’d order the sweet stuff first before the mains come out. Don’t hate. I will not stand for “Oh, I’m too full for dessert blah blah wah wah” coming outta my mouth at the end of the meal. No. Nope. I may be wearing a watch, but I ain’t got time for that kinda foolishness!

On that note, may I present my recipe for Ginataang Bilo Bilo. ‘Ginataan‘ pretty much means anything cooked in coconut milk – sweet or savoury. In this case, think playful textures from the sticky rice balls that gets into all the crevices of your mouth in amongst a warm basin of creamy coconut milk swimming with chewy sago all sweetened by jackfruit and syrup.  It’s the best winter comforter and it’s not too sweet either which makes for a great excuse to have seconds. Some even add saba bananas and sweet potato (kamote) but I like to keep mine simple.

Serves 7

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Glutinous rice balls
1¾ cups glutinous rice flour
½ cup water
¼ cup coconut milk

Tapioca Pearls

¾ cup small tapioca pearls
8 cups of water

The rest

2 cups coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream
2 cups water
1 can jackfruit, sliced (save all pieces uncooked for garnishing, and set aside half the syrup)
3/4 cup sugar

Put the glutinous rice flour into a large bowl. Gradually add the water and coconut milk while kneading continuously, until the mixture comes together and is smooth and firm.

Using your hands, form this dough into small balls – about the size of a marble. It should make about 20–25 balls. Set these aside on a dry, flat surface.

Now cook the tapioca pearls. Fill a large saucepan with 8 cups of water and bring to the boil. Add the tapioca pearls and stir gently from time to time, so they don’t stick together. Cook until the pearls are translucent or until they rise up (usually about 10 minutes). Don’t overcook!

Drain the tapioca pearls in a sieve and run them under cold water to prevent them from clumping together into DNA-like structures. Set aside in a bowl of cold water.

Using the same large saucepan, pour in the coconut milk, coconut cream, and water. Bring to the boil. Drop in the glutinous rice balls and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, carefully stirring occasionally to prevent the rice balls from sticking together.

Add the jackfruit syrup, sugar, and cooked tapioca pearls, and stir. Simmer for another 15 minutes, until the glutinous rice balls have softened.

TIPS: If you prefer a thinner sauce, add an additional cup of coconut milk. Adjust the sweetness by adding or subtracting the amount of jack fruit syrup.

This dish is best eaten hot, so scoop immediately into bowls and garnish with pieces of jackfruit.

You’ve been served!

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join over 4000 sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

The concept for Cooking for Compassion is centered around both affordability and practicality. True to what Wesely Mission stands for, the recipes within their cookbook needed to be budget conscious and preferably, using ingredients and the non-perishable items that are usually donated to the organisation. What makes it so brilliant is that it also promotes frugality; something that our over consuming/spending society desperately needs more of. This means less food wastage and landfill not too mention more benjamins in our pockets at the end of every week.*hands up!*

My recipe contribution Cathedral Jelly (above)

According to Wesley Mission “The number of clients accessing our Crisis and Homelessness Services is increasing each year. In 2012/13, Wesley provided services including housing, transport and food to 17,545 Victorians, an increase of 29 per cent on the previous year.”

For a $20, you will not only be helping out families in need but in return, you will get a cookbook filled with pages and pages of diverse recipes covering many cuisines from Chinese, Italian and Filipino plus some super easy decedent desserts crafted with ingredients you may already have in the pantry.

My recipe contribution was an easy choice: Cathedral Jelly (above). With its array colours resembling stained glass windows, it’s been such a big hit a family parties especially with the kids…and their parents. A treasured recipe that costs less than $10 to make.

Also included in the book is a how to guide to make the perfect risotto. No weeknight dinner will ever be the same. I urge you to take the challenge and see how much you save using the Cooking for Compassion Cookbook compared to eating out or getting takeout every night. It’s much more fun cooking with the family anyways!

Tim Tam Lamington Tart by the errmazing Daisy – how good does that look?!

You can’t go past this poifect noodle recipe by Mr Ultimate Feast Chef himself, Wince

Unlike other cookbooks, there’s also a built in ‘stand’ so it doesn’t take up unnecessary bench space and prevent those pesky page splatter. It kinda reminds me of Kramer’s Coffee Table book on one of the Seinfeld episodes…cracker! Much better than his idea for a cologne that smelt exactly like the beach though. So if you too wanna avoid any permanent kitchen stains on on your beloved cookbook, grab a copy Cooking for Compassion and like ma experience so far, it will become your saving grace when it comes to weeknight dinner procrastination.

Reach deep into your pockets and hearts and grab your copy today. Remember, sexy people donate.

Zee Details

You can pop by the Wesley Mission office at 148 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD

Order online at: www.foodforfamilies.com.au

Yo. I was not asked by Wesley Mission to write this post. I genuinely believe in their cause and  was more than happy to help where I can.

Have you signed up for updates from Food Rehab? Subscribe to join other sexy eaters and I’ll do my best to keep us learning about none-other than glorious, GLORIOUS food! Also, follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you have either of those addictive things.

Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian