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Sarah Cooks: The Unblogged Files: October 2016
Unblogged

The Unblogged Files: October 2016

10/31/2016 07:36:00 PM

Hello there! Time for my October Unblogged Files! This month, I was determined to get it up in time! Woohoo! So, as I mentioned last month, we started October in Cairns. So gorgeous, such fun! (Blogpost to come).

Cape Tribulation

Let's start with breakfasts. As usual, lots of avocado! But also some peanut butter banana bread, wholegrain pancakes, blueberries with yogurt, and freshly-baked pretzels! (P.S. I have a recipe for peanut butter banana bread on my blog, but this time I tried using Bill Granger's banana bread, and just replaced the chocolate with peanut butter chips).

Breakfast

Here are some work lunches. Looks like Pho Nom is my new default lunch! But there was also an excellent cheeseburger at Captain Melville (34 Franklin St, Melbourne VIC 3000), and of course, Nando's!

Clockwise from top left: Pho Nom chicken salad & chicken bun; Pho Nom springrolls; Nando's; Pho Nom chicken Pho; Captain Melville cheeseburger

I was pretty good about bringing lunch to work, making fancy quinoa or brown rice bowls, and topping them with avocado and whatever vegetables I could find in the fridge. #Mealprep!

Rice / Quinoa bowls

And here are some homecooked dinners...

Clockwise from top left: Pho; Krautsuppe (German cabbage soup); Chicken cooked in a Happycall pan; Mexican rice

Clockwise from top left: Fried pomfret w rice; chicken soup with marrow dumplings; Steak with asparagus, potatoes, spinach; Spaghetti con cacio e pepe

I did a couple of events this month...

First up was the launch of TAP wine's prosecco on tap, at 38 Chairs (651 Rathdowne St, Carlton North VIC 3054). The wines were, as expected, delicious, but I was really impressed with the canapés and desserts provided. (That seared tuna! Those cannoli!) I really want to go back for dinner at 38 Chairs now.

Launch of TAP wines at 38 Chairs

Another cool event was the launch of the new summer menu for Happy Place by Lola Berry. This was the total opposite of the TAP wines launch - no alcohol, all healthy food, sparkling kombucha mocktails, fun smoothies and more! I particularly liked the black magic smoothie - with charcoal, pineapple, avocado, mint, coconut water and maca powder. Looks scary but tasted yum!

Launch of Happy Place's summer menu

And here are a couple of cheeky mid-week drinks I snuck in! Espresso martinis at Gerald's Bar (386 Rathdowne St, Carlton North 3054)...

Espresso Martinis

...and wine times at POW Kitchen (29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, VIC 3182). I'm so glad it's finally starting to get a bit sunnier and warmer!

POW Kitchen

One Saturday morning, we hit up the Boroondara Farmers Market and got a great haul, including Phillipa's sourdough spelt loaf, Good Food For Me pistachio and almond butter and Tarago River triple cream cheese.

Haul from the Boroondara Farmer's Market

Later that afternoon, we went to Bunnings (urgh) and then had brunch (yay!) at Bawa Cafe (248 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122). They're still busy, but don't seem to have long queues any more. Hooray! The brunch dishes were good, especially the egg white omelette with hot-smoked salmon, and the cauliflower fritters with haloumi, asparagus and jalapeño-whipped ricotta.

Bawa cafe

Aldi was stocking heaps of German goodies for Oktoberfest. We went a little overboard! Spekulatius biscuits! Paprika-flavoured potato sticks!

Aldi German goodies

One night we had an improumptu dinner at Our Kitchenette (217 Riversdale Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122). They're a little cafe, but also offer take-home meals and serve dinner until 7pm each night. The poached salmon and Dutch cream potato salad was so delicious! Perfect light spring dinner.

poached Salmon and Dutch Cream potato salad with green peas and herbs add a poached egg 20.5

This last week I've been down with the flu (boooo!), but on Saturday I managed to drag myself out of the house and across town to Beatrix (688 Queensberry St, North Melbourne VIC 3051), for a much-needed treat-yo-self cake! This was Nat's blue velvet cake - a white buttercake, cream cheese custard buttercream, and blueberry compote. So good!

Blue Velvet Cake, Chai Latte

And on Sunday I dragged myself down to South Melbourne Market, so that I could pick up supplies for Cup Day. (Fingers crossed I'll be well enough for Champagne, cheese and charcuterie!) It was so fun - we got smoothies at Happy Place, bought croissants at Agathé, cheeses from Emerald Deli and sausages from the Polish deli.

South Melbourne Market

Most excitingly, I actually found Mettwurst at the Polish deli! This is one of my favourite German cold cuts, and I've been searching for it here for 8 years! Basically it's raw bratwurst filling that you spread on bread with a sprinkling of paprika, and it is sooo delicious! I usually have it with some raw onion too, but this particular brand is already onion-flavoured, so just paprika for me.

Mettwurst!

Plans for November - keeping it low key... a couple of events, some catch-ups with friends, and that's about it! Let's do this thing!

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2 comments

  1. I'll have one of everything, please! Including the mettwurst!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a delicious selection. Well that's it, my breakfast is going to be pathetic in comparison!

    ReplyDelete

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