A Hidden Gem of Little Lonsdale Street

Thousand Pound Bend

On Little Lonsdale Street of Melbourne’s CBD, I came across 'Thousand Pound Bend', a little cafe hidden amongst the garages and budget hotels of this street.

Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne's CBD

As soon as you enter, it is difficult not to pick up on the relaxed, laid back vibe the place gives off. It's like an oasis you step into to get away from the busy rush of morning commuters. The interior is very dark and cluttered. There are old wooden tables, damaged floors and walls, rustic French-style ornaments and mirrors, chandeliers and prison-like bars decorating the windows.

There was a wide range of dishes available on the menu, though there seemed to be a focus on American-style diner meals, such as bagels and burgers. However, there was also a touch of Middle Eastern cuisine such as falafels and haloumi, Australian kangaroo and Angus beef, and a touch of Greek food. Although it appeared that there was a large range of cultures represented on the menu, within the individual dishes there was not much deviation from the ingredients considered typical or expected for that culture.

The price range of this cafe is slightly on the expensive side. A burger comes to about $13 whereas a bagel is around $12.50. However, if you just want a simple brekky, you can get fried eggs for $8.

Take a look at their menu here ...

For breakfast, I had ciabatta toast with avocado, fetta, mushrooms and ginger. I enjoyed this meal, though it was not amazingly memorable. The bread was too hard, and the size of the dish was not huge for the price you pay. However, the exotic mix of ginger and feta was delicious.

As a Melbournian, I feel quite inspired by places like 'Thousand Pound Bend' as they remind me of the great cultural mix Melbourne provides to everyone. I felt as if I was a tourist and momentarily saw the city in the eyes of a traveller. In this way, I feel motivated to experience lots of different things that Melbourne has to offer that I have never come across before, such as different cafes or museums.

The simple act of trying a new cafe left me feeling quite refreshed. This experience goes to show that food definitely does transcend simple satisfaction of biological hunger!

Take a look at their website here...

A Melting Pot of France, Italy and Spain...

Melbourne's Very Own Food Fair!

  

Recently I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to come together with a group of people to experience different interpretations of French, Spanish and Italian cuisine. I chose to prepare an Italian dish, and hoped to show others the cuisine which plays a significant role in my life.

POLPETTI DI RISO

I chose to prepare "Polpetti di Riso" - a croquette-style snack of fried cheese, rice and mashed potato. This dish originates from Calabria in the South of Italy, and is often enjoyed at different Italian family events. The term "polpetta" refers to the oval shape the rice mixture is rolled into.

Unfried polpetti

I chose to prepare this dish as it has a big place in my family life. Growing up, this meal was always present at family events. For me, Polpetti di Riso represents my Italian heritage and serves as a nostalgic reminder of days spent cooking with my Nonna.

I was lucky enough to have help from my Nonna - the expert - when making this dish. I had difficulty in attaining the perfect shape for the polpetti - mine definitely did not look as good as the ones Nonna rolled up! Rolling the correct shape is quite difficult with the rice mixture as it tends to open up when in the frying pan, wrecking the smooth surface of the fried flour.

I enjoyed learning about all the little tricks and techniques my Nonna has for making her dishes perfect. Whether it be the touch of water on the palm of the hand, or the use of the fork instead of the spoon when touching the polpetti, all these things helped me better understand her world of cooking.

I left my nonna’s house feeling very in touch with my Italian heritage. This heavy dish served as a heavy reminder that I would love to learn more about my Italian background.

It seemed the dish was quite well received at the food fair. People seemed slightly unsure what the polpetti were at first, but once they tried them, they loved them! The tasty blend of creamy rice and crunchy breadcrumb seemed to suit everyone's tastes for fat. I feel satisfied that people have been able to have a taste of the cuisine that has flavoured my life.

Tuscan Cibreo

An Unusual Delicacy From Italy's Centre

TUSCAN CIBREO

Tuscany, Italy (Brown)

Tuscan Cibreo is a recipe originating from Tuscany in the centre of Italy. It is a delicate stew whose main ingredients consist of chicken liver, giblets, gonads, egg yolk and butter.

This dish involves cooking the chicken gizzards in a pot and adding lemon juice and egg yolks. Tuscan cibreo is often served with Tuscan-style thinly sliced homemade bread. This dish is quite in keeping with the Tuscan style of cooking which tends to centre itself on soups and stews rather than heavy pastas. Click here for a full recipe of this dish

Catherine dei Medici

Although this meal seems quite unsophisticated, it actually holds a significant place in Italy and France’s royal history. Cibreo dates back to the Renaissance where it was considered quite refined and was heavily sought out by the wealthy. It was originally served at the beginning of important banquets in the French royal court, where the name “cibreo” comes from Latin’s “cibus regis”, meaning “the king’s food”. This dish became even more well-known due to Catherine dei Medici, France’s Queen from 1519 - 1589, who came from Italy to marry Henry Orleans, future king of France. Catherine struggled to conceive for many years after marriage, and turned to cibreo with hopes that it would increase her fertility. Catherine went on to conceive nine children in eleven years afterwards. In fact, she was apparently so fond of cibreo that she is said to have almost died from indigestion from eating too much of it in 1549.

Trattoria Cibreo, Florence 

Today, Tuscan cibreo continues to be celebrated. It is eaten all over the world, and various restaurants have named themselves after the famous dish. ‘Cibreo Italian Kitchen’ in Cleveland, Ohio, is a Tuscan-style restaurant which specialises in authentic Tuscan meals. ‘Trattoria Cibreo’ in Florence aims to return to traditional Italian dishes, and is led by one of Florence’s top chefs, Fabio Picchi. Picchi also owns and runs "Cafe Cibreo" and "Cibreo Ristorante". Take a look at their website here

Despite its somewhat daring ingredients, Tuscan cibreo remains a stylish and popular dish in many parts of the world.

La Belle Piperade de Basque

Basque Piperade

Basque Piperade is a specialty from the French Basque country in the South of France that dates back to the early 1800s. This dish involves red peppers, onions and tomatoes which are sautéed and flavoured with red Espelette pepper. The dish is often accompanied by country bread, baby greens, and cabernet sauvignon.

The Basque Country

The Basque country is an area located in the western section of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Basque Piperade is quintessentially Basquaise due to its use of Espelette pepper, an ingredient which the Basque country uses heavily. This pepper comes from the small village Espelette in Basque in the Southwestern-most corner of France. It dominates many dishes of the Basque region, providing them with the warm, spicy and rich tang that is quite typical of the Basque country.

Basque's Espelette peppers

The Basque Country's official colour is red, and in this way the Basque Piperade is seen as quite regionally patriotic and strongly linked to the Basque country. This regional colour is heavily celebrated in Basque, where the colour is found on houses, on berets and also in many Basquaise dishes. Every year in October, the Basque village of Espelette celebrates its identity with a festival dedicated to its Espelette peppers and the colour red. Houses are decorated with peppers hung up to dry. In fact, the name 'piperade' dates back to the early 19th century's word 'piper' which means 'ground pepper' that has been prepared by crushing peppercorns.

Traditional Basque-style house

Basque house decorated with Espelette peppers

Basque flag

Furthermore, Basque Piperade's regional significance in the Basque country is thickened as its ingredients reflect the green, red and white colours of the Basque flag. The ingredients display a swirl of fresh seasonal colour which remind the people of Basque of their regional roots and identity as Basque citizens.

Basque Piperade is said to be one of the most famous and celebrated dishes of the Basque country, so much so that a San-Franciscan restaurant specialising in rustic Basque cuisine has named itself after the dish. The restaurant’s adaptation of the Basque Piperade differs from the Basque country’s versions in the way that it uses French Ventrèche bacon instead of other meats.

Piperade - San Francisco

See their menu here

Despite the adaptations and differentiations of this classic dish, Basque Piperade remains one of the most important dishes of the Basque country. It has even been labelled so by the Larousse Gastronomique, a French encyclopaedia of French cuisine dating back to the 1930s.

Click here to see a step-by-step guide by Julia Childs on making Basque Piperade

The Fabulous Flag-waving Fabada

Fabada Asturiana

Fabada Asturiana is a rich stew infused with beans and sausages. It originates from the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain's northwest where it is revered as one of the region's most highly celebrated dishes.

Fabada Asturiana's heaviness is suited to the winter months where it is often consumed for lunch as the largest meal of the day. It features beans as its main ingredient, chorizo, Morcilla (blood sausage), smoked pork belly as well as an assortment of Spanish spices including paprika and saffron.

When serving up the fabada, a requirement of the region is that the pork be sliced up and served separately to the rest of the dish on earthenware plates. The fabada is then eaten accompanied by a crusty Spanish bread and a Spanish hard cider.

This dish is popular in many regions in Spain and is even served in many fine dining restaurants in Madrid. While chorizo is most commonly used in the fabada, other recipes sometimes use longanzina, a Spanish sausage very similar to chorizo. Fabada con Almejas (Fabes with clams) is another common version of the fabada dish in Asturias, but is most popular near the coast, where clams are used instead of other meats.

Fabada con Almejas

Fabada Asturiana is famously known to be Asturias', though the strong cheeses, beef and cider for which the region is most famously known do not feature in Fabada Asturiana. It is in fact the white beans - fabes de Granja - which are what Asturias is know for. The enviable soil conditions of Asturias as well as the strict quality control of the growth of the fabes allow a large and high quality yield of the beans. These conditions produce fabes which are high in fats and minerals and unique in flavour and texture, providing the dish with its unique taste.

Fabes de Granja

Historically, Fabada Asturiana plays a significant role in the region of Asturias' heritage. It is claimed that during the Battle of Covadonga against the Muslim Moors in 718, the Spanish army ate fabada before defeating the Moorish. This victory is believed to be due to the strength given to the soldiers by the protein-rich dish.

The Battle of Covadonga, 718

Perhaps the reason why this dish is so celebrated in Spain is not purely because it is tasty, but also because it evokes a sense of nostalgia for the nation's victory. It may act as a reminder that a simple peasant's dish can lead to victories and celebrations that surpass its more frugal foundations.  

Click here for a step-by-step guide to cooking Fabada Asturiana