Category: Blog

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Blog Desserts

Peach Melbourne

Peaches are in season in Australia right now, and plentiful in the shops. It’s no surprise therefore that, just as Wimbledon has strawberries and cream, the Australian Open has Peach Melbourne.

The Australian Open, the first tennis major tournament of 2023, is under way at the moment, and is a pretty big deal here in Melbourne. I’ve spent a couple of days at it this week and, aside from watching the tennis, have enjoyed its Peach Melbourne signature treat.

It is of course a play on Peach Melba, the dish created in the Victorian era by a French chef, in honour of the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba. Melba was a stage name that she took from her home town of Melbourne.

The three key ingredients are ice cream, fresh peaches, and raspberries. At the Australian Open, it is served (sorry, couldn’t resist that one) as a tub of whirled vanilla ice cream, covered with a drizzle of pureed fresh peaches, and topped with pieces of dried raspberries (see my main photo).

It is lovely to taste – especially the fresh peach sauce – and a welcome respite from the heat. The temperature hit 37C one day this week, and play on the outdoor courts had to be suspended. I would not be surprised if the tennis players all headed to the Peach Melbourne outlet to cool down.

Regular followers will know that I featured on ADK some ice cream creations made with my own ice cream maker, a few months back during the UK summer. I haven’t made this peach dish before but will definitely be giving it a go when I get home. Watch out for a future post.

As for the tennis, I have really enjoyed seeing the game played up close by world class players. The first day we bought a ground pass, which gives access to all of Melbourne Park, except for the 4 show court arenas. You can wander around and see who is playing, then stand or sit at a match and watch it for as long as you wish, before moving on to another. You can go fetch a coffee (or Peach Melbourne) whenever you choose, or take a deckchair on a central green watching the action on a big screen.

The atmosphere is relaxed and informal off court, if fiercely competitive on. The setting is spectacular, with the skyline of Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) rising above the courts.

I liked being able to watch a match from a spectator gallery to the side of the court. The customary view on TV is from a raised camera position at the end of the court, but sitting to the side brings home much more effectively the speed and power with which the game is played at this level.

It’s also fun spotting any famous players taking their turn on the outside courts. The biggest name we saw there was the number 3 seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas, see below.

I knew he was a top men’s singles player, but hadn’t realised he also played doubles with his brother. There is a large Greek community in Melbourne, so the boys were receiving enthusiastic support from the fans.

It’s also possible to watch the tennis for free on a big screen, by joining these Melburnians below, at the nearby AO Hilltop – a fan fest site with decent drinks and food.

On our second day, we had evening tickets for the biggest of the show courts, the Rod Laver Arena – a lovely birthday present from my son. It was very exciting making our way to the famous 15,000 seat arena, below.

In a tense game, we saw the USA’s Seb Korda inflict a shock defeat on the number 7 seed, Daniil Medvedev.

Our session ended just after midnight – not quite as late as Andy Murray endured this week, finishing at 4am the next morning! With this in mind, our latest addition to the ADK Playlist is in honour of the gallant, battling Scot who overcame the odds to progress to the next round. This is Faron Young with It’s Four in the Morning.

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Blog

A Night at the Opera

I don’t have a bucket list. However, if I did, one item on it would be an evening at Sydney Opera House, enjoying a delicious meal and some excellent musical theatre. What’s more, after this weekend, I would now be ticking it off!

Having been in Sydney for a few days, we had already seen the Opera House from a few different perspectives. It is prominently situated on a natural peninsula extending out into Sydney’s vast Harbour, which means it is visible from most of the bays, coves, trails and look-out points tucked away around the water’s edge.

My main photo, above, is taken from one of the many public transport ferries that pass it by, on the way back to the Harbour’s main ferry interchange at nearby Circular Quay.

For the photo below, I climbed up to the dizzy heights of the pedestrian walkway crossing the (equally iconic) Sydney Harbour Bridge.

This next one is taken on the terrace of the Opera House itself, on a walk out towards the nearby green spaces of the Domain and Botanical Gardens.

The world-famous building was opened in 1973, and has just begun its 50th year celebrations. The show we were watching was Amadeus, a play with music about the life of Mozart, told from the perspective of a jealous rival composer, Salieri, played by well-known Brit actor, Michael Sheen.

The show was great, my favourite aspect being the orchestral sound – looking up at those ceilings in the shapes of huge sails, it is immediately apparent that nothing has been spared on the quality of the internal acoustics.

I also really liked the fact that the building was designed to be spacious and social. We enjoyed a pre-show meal on the huge terrace alongside the building, in the sun, in full view of the Harbour Bridge and the passing seafaring traffic. A massive visiting cruise ship was departing just as we ate, providing further spectacle.

Interval drinks were served on a balcony high up at the front of the building, with peerless views from east to west across Sydney Harbour, as the sun set and the lights were coming on.

And what, as a food blogger, did I make of the restaurant meal? I’m pleased to say it impressed as well! Our party of four shared a range of platters of what the chef calls Pan-Asian Fusion. Our selection included vegetarian spring rolls with plum sauce, a bamboo basket of steamed dumplings with black vinegar and chilli oil, beef sando (a type of Japanese steak sandwich), karaage fried chicken, katsu curry and a dish of mixed sushi. Considering the location, the bill was very reasonable as well.

My final shot of this iconic venue I took as we walked home after the show, having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Enjoying a little night music, in a play about the life of Mozart? This just has to be the next track for the ADK Playlist: the instantly recognisable (and, be warned, hummable) Serenade in G Major from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

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Blog Drinks

Prickly Moses

As a foodblogger travelling around Australia, I have made it my mission to seek out and sample a range of local craft beers along the way. I know – an onerous responsibility, but you’re welcome. Don’t mention it.

In recent years, craft beer has really taken off in the UK, and one of the pleasures of travelling around the British regions is tasting the different brews being produced by local independents. It appears that the craft beer market is, at the very least, equally as buoyant in Australia.

On my first (post-jet lag) day in Melbourne, I stumbled upon Dan Murphy’s bottleshop (as they call it here) in Prahan, and went in to ask if they stocked any local craft beers. I was escorted to one entire wall of the store, lined with refrigerators all stocking local craft brews – see my photo below.

From then on it has been a similar story everywhere. Each town and region has its own incredible range.

A good example is the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse – a vast warehouse devoted to regional craft beer. It is in Apollo Bay, a golden-beached seaside resort on the Victoria state coast. Here’s a photo below.

Some friends had invited us for drinks and pasta at their beach house, and I wanted to find some good local beers to take along. The choice was bewildering, but with the aid of some recommendations from the staff, I settled on the Prickly Moses beers shown in my main photo, at the top of this post.

Prickly Moses is a generic name that covers a number of hardy, cactus-like shrubs that grow in Australia’s hot climate. The name has been adopted by a craft brewery in Barongarook , Victoria. In keeping with the prickly theme, their logo is an Echidna, a mammal native to Australia akin to a kind of cute hedgehog (and which, incidentally, we have already seen at least a couple of times in the wild).

As the photo shows, my selection included a good variety, from golden summer ale, red ale, IPA, organic pilsner and low alcohol. Every one tasted crisp and fresh, and went down well with the punters on the sun deck, overlooking the bay. These are probably my favourites tasted so far, based on consistency of quality across a variety of beer types.

A close second is this IPA from Port Phillip on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, which had just the right combo of colour, depth, strength and hoppy taste (see below).

This one probably tasted special as it became a regular accompaniment to barbecuing in the garden, in the evening sun!

It would be impossible to review every beer from the 740-odd craft breweries in Australia, but I hope this will at least give you, um, a taste.

The next track for the ADK Playlist, from an Australian band, was suggested to me at the drinks and pasta party. These are The Veronicas, originally from Brisbane, with Untouched.

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Blog Snacks

The Twelve Apostles

While touring Australia’s Great Ocean Road, I’ve been enjoying the Twelve Apostles Gourmet Food Trail. More about the food in a moment, but firstly let’s explore the rather special wonders of nature from which the Trail derives its name.

The Twelve Apostles (see my main photo) are a series of spectacular rock formations standing off Victoria’s southern coast, amidst the crashing surf and spray. They have been carved from the limestone cliffs over thousands of years, by the ferocious wind and waves blowing up across the Southern Ocean from Antarctica. Today they are one of Australia’s most-visited tourist attractions.

Parking up and walking out the short distance to see them reminded me of past visits to other famous rock formations, like Stonehenge in England and Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. As with those, this visit doesn’t disappoint.

We experienced first hand just how dramatically changeable the conditions can be. My main photo shows how beautifully clear the skies were on our visit, but within 1 – 2 hours a thick sea mist and rain had descended. This isn’t called the Shipwreck Coast for nothing, with many hundreds of sailing ships having met their fate along this stretch of water.

There is a gorge named after one of them, the Loch Ard, which left England in 1878 on its three month journey to the new world. On sighting land, passengers and crew held an End of Voyage party, only to find the next day that conditions had dramatically worsened, the ship being washed up on the rocks with many lives lost. A reminder, if one were needed, not to celebrate any kind of journey in life until you have actually crossed the finish line.

My photo below shows the rock formation known as London Bridge. Originally a long, arched promontory extending out across the water, it was given its name due to its supposed resemblance to the British landmark spanning the River Thames in England’s capital.

However, in a rare case of geology mimicking a traditional folk song, London Bridge has, literally, fallen down. In the 1990s the stormy waves brought the middle section crashing into the surf, leaving two bemused tourists stranded on what was then Australia’s newest off shore island.

These days, a network of clifftop boardwalks and viewing platforms protect the fragile landscape, and make the outstanding views safe and accessible to all, whatever your level of mobility.

And so to the Food Trail. A group of around a dozen local independent food producers have banded together to offer a tour of local sites where you can taste and buy artisan foods. These entrepreneurs include a distillery, craft brewery, ice creamery, berry picking farm and vineyard. You can find out more about the Trail, and download a map, here.

Regular followers will know that A Different Kitchen likes to help promote independent producers, and I focused on two sites along the Trail that particularly took my fancy.

GORGE Chocolates are made and sold on site. My photo below shows an example of the selection available.

For a souvenir purchase, I chose dark chocolate shards with chilli (which pack a punch!), and a bar of salted milk chocolate. I also couldn’t resist these charming strawberry chocolate figures in the shape of a kangaroo and a koala bear.

Our second visit was to Dairylicious Farm Fudge, which also makes all its produce on site. They offer a tasting board with 6 or 7 different types of fudge to try. I settled on a bag of classic creamy caramel fudge, shown in the photo below.

If the bag looks a little light, it is because we had already started it while sat on the Dairylicious verandah, before my camera was ready!

Spectacular views and delicious local food. What more could I ask for – maybe the next track for the ADK Spotify Playlist! Here is Morcheeba with The Sea.

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Blog Desserts

Wish Upon a Cupcake

Have you ever had an issue arise while staying in an Airbnb? I’m pleased to say this one, on our current stay in Australia, had a very happy ending.

Our suspicions were raised about ten minutes after switching on the oven, and finding that it simply wasn’t heating up. Were we doing something wrong? Was there a magical button on the control panel that we were stupidly failing to press? Everything else about the apartment had been perfect, so surely the issue lay with us?

A note to the host followed, seeking help and advice. This led to a visit by her to check it out, only to conclude that, yes, the oven was indeed broken. A technical repair visit would be required and, it being nearly Christmas, the visit could not be arranged before next week, after we have moved on to our next place.

Another first world problem! For a few days we would not be able to warm a pizza, or heat up a quiche. What would we do? Aghhh!

Thankfully, the host made a very prompt and kind gesture by way of apology. She informed us that, as a measure of goodwill, a substantial gift voucher was waiting for us behind the counter at local cake deli, Wish Upon a Cupcake.

We paid a visit there the next day and were impressed. My photos show some of the cakes available in the shop. They are all baked on the premises here in Watsonia, a suburb of Melbourne.

Here is the selection we chose with our gift voucher. We were very satisfied.

You see, despite the best of intentions, things just sometimes go wrong, and it really isn’t worth getting worked up about it. Most things can be resolved through prompt, effective service. Nearly everything can be made better with cake.

Even the little buddha in the apartment’s back garden seemed to approve.

So there you are – for Christmas time, a story to warm the heart. Even if it didn’t warm our kitchen.

This coming week, they’re forecasting temperatures rising to around 29C as we move out by the beach on Mornington Peninsula, where we’ll be joined by a wider group of family and friends in the lead-up to our Australian Christmas. Time for a feelgood song! Here’s Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves.

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Blog

Keep Calm, Eat Ramen

Where to eat in the early evening before seeing the Melbourne production of the musical Hamilton?

This was today’s first world problem during my travels here in Australia. I’m now back from the wilderness (literally) for a few days to sample the cosmopolitan city life.

Handily, the city’s theatre district is close to Chinatown, which opened up a number of possibilities. A recommendation from my son (who is resident here), supported by a number of very positive online reviews, led us to Mr Ramen San.

I hadn’t really heard of Ramen before, but I now know it is a Japanese dish consisting of wheat noodles in broth, served with various meat or vegetable toppings. I opted for spicy chicken ramen, which came with toppings of spring onion, beansprouts, cabbage, seaweed and half a boiled egg (see my main photo).

I understand this may not sound the most tempting dish you’ve ever encountered, but take it from me – it was actually very tasty.

Given where we are in the world, it’s no surprise that Melbourne has sizable communities originating from all over south-eastern Asia. I believe this began with the discovery of gold in the mid-nineteenth century, when many Chinese in particular came here to join the prospectors. More recently, many others have followed, and Chinatown has grown up as a haven for not just Chinese, but Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other restaurants.

In a strange juxtaposition of cultures, Chinatown is currently decorated to celebrate Christmas – a giant toy soldier from the Nutcracker guarding the ornamental gates.

And as for Hamilton? I hadn’t seen or heard it before, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it is based around the story of the American War of Independence, interpreted from a black minority ethnic perspective. It’s a very modern musical, featuring soul and hip hop.

Regular followers will know that I cannot claim either of these as my own top musical genre. However, the show rips along at a fast pace, with great music and dynamic choreography. It is definitely worth a visit if you get the chance.

No prizes therefore for guessing the latest addition to the ADK Spotify Playlist. Here is one of the catchiest tracks My Shot.

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Blog

Wild Wild Life

My first full week in Australia has been pretty wild. And I mean that literally.

After a few days in Melbourne to acclimatise and shake off jet lag, we headed south-east of the city to experience life in the remote, southernmost parts of Australia. First stop was Phillip Island, a delightful holiday island popular as a weekend getaway with Melburnians. We then moved on to a wilderness retreat in the State Park of Wilson’s Prom (short for Promontory).

These places are home to some of Australia’s most famous animals. My main photo shows a sleepy little koala resting above me in a gum tree, on Phillip Island.

My photo below shows a wallaby who came along looking interested in the barbecue I was cooking in the outback on Wilson’s Prom.

I also broke off from my barbecue to snap these kookaburras, laughing while perched in a nearby tree, at dusk.

The landscape and climate here shows nature at its wildest. We climbed the 558m high Mount Oberon for this view overlooking Norman Beach and Tidal River, the hub for visitors to Wilson’s Prom.

There seems to be an amazing, and practically deserted golden sands beach on every stretch of coastline. My photo below shows Sunderland Bay, taken at Surfie’s Point.

We have also waited patiently at sunset to watch Phillip Island’s penguin colony return from a day’s swimming and fishing, waddling in unison across the beach to the safety of their burrows. Also, as advised by Park Rangers, I’ve been taking care to protect the food for our barbecues from the visiting wombats.

With all of this wildlife, rugged coastline and amazing surf beach scenery, you may think I have become temporarily distracted from my usual focus on food. Well, there is probably some truth in that to be fair, but expect normal service to be resumed soon. Having said that, let me share with you this heavenly chocolate, peanut butter and almond slice I enjoyed at the Sanny Bakehouse in San Remo.

Choice of music this week has to be Talking Heads, with Wild Wild Life.

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Blog

G’day Australia!

Well, I’ve made it. 13 and a half hours in the air with Qatar Airways, crossing 8 time zones, but I’ve made it. All of that on top of 6 and a half hours in the air, crossing 3 time zones, on the initial leg from London to Doha. I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised that I’m feeling a little groggy with jet lag just now.

First impressions of Melbourne are that it’s a very interesting city, with lots of culture, sport, street art and cafes that take serving good food and coffee very seriously. I took a tram to Fed Square and walked down by the Yarra River to take the photo above, looking across to the Central Business District.

Weather was about 21C – it is just coming into the main summer here. Weirdly, this means that, with the UK summer just gone, I will experience two summers this year. Not that I’m complaining, of course.

I’ve been out for an initial walk around the food shops and cafes of trendy Prahran, where we’re staying, and sampled some of the alternative beach culture at coastal St. Kilda. Lots to like, and I’m looking forward to exploring much more of the city and Victoria state over the next couple of months. Plenty more posts to come!

For an initial cafe treat, I couldn’t resist this plate of Australia’s very own delicacy, Vegemite, with butter on thick sourdough toast, served with a cappucino. It tastes like marmite but with the texture of smooth peanut butter. I could be developing a taste for this…

Musical choice is a track from a musician who hails from this city, and who I have admired for many years. This is Jubilee Street by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

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Blog

Falafel and Tahini Flatbread

One of the foods I have wanted to try, while in the Middle East, is falafels. I’m a fan, and was keen to see how they are prepared and cooked in this part of the world.

A spot of local research suggested an Egyptian Restaurant, the Khan Farouk Tarab Cafe was the place to visit. A hop on Doha’s excellent, state of the art metro, took us there. Having a number of impressive reviews, it certainly lived up to its reputation.

The restaurant is situated in the Katara Cultural Village part of Doha, another modern development impressive in size and quality, and which has clearly been built with a generous budget. It is the only place I can recall visiting where the streets are air conditioned from grilles in the pavements.

The restaurant specialised in Egyptian food. It was busy and doing a good trade, appearing to be popular with the local North African community. One of the upsides of Qatar’s policy of strict control of alcohol is that more restaurants and bars are family friendly, and this was certainly the case here.

I immediately liked the fact that there was a member of staff permanently stationed by a traditional clay oven, baking fresh flatbread that was then served to the tables warm.

It was inside one of these that my meal was served. The sliced falafel had a crunchy and golden coating, with a soft, green and spicy centre. It was mixed with crisp green salad and tahini dressing. Served with pickles, the whole sandwich was delicious (see main photo). Prices were reasonable once again – my meal cost 26 QAR which works out at under £6.

It’s been one of the pleasures of our time in Doha that we have been able to sample some genuine cuisine from across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, prepared and cooked by experts.

Today’s musical choice continues the Middle Eastern theme – here is Thief of Baghdad by The Teardrop Explodes.

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Blog

Souq Waqif

Most of Doha’s development has taken place in the last few decades, funded with the money from the oil industry. The notable exception to this is Souq Waqif, the origin of which dates back to the early 20th Century. Doha was then a small coastal town with an industry in pearl diving. The Souq is where bedouins – the inhabitants of the deserts across Arabia – would come to trade food and textiles with the local people.

By the early 2000s, it was a little worse for wear and, with the focus very much on new development in the city, consideration was being given to its demolition. However, what now seems a very inspired decision was made in favour of renovation. It is now a popular destination for visitors to the city – particularly at the moment with people here from all over the globe for the Football World Cup.

A walk through the Souq is a joy for anyone who recalls the old Arabian Nights legends. The low level sandstone buildings, and narrow, meandering alleyways could be a theme park land, or film set from an Indiana Jones movie, until you remind yourself that this is actually the real thing.

A tiny shop door leads to a cavernous collection of colourful and richly textured carpets. Hey, maybe one of those might fly? Street traders sell bejewelled plates and ornaments. Could a genie be hiding inside one of those lamps, I wonder?

Colourful birds chirp from their cages. You can buy everything you could possibly need for your falconry hobby (including the falcons).

The Souq is a real experience for the senses. Our arrival coincided with the call to prayers echoing from the tower of the nearby mosque, mingling with the hubbub of the crowd and haggling from the stalls. The air is filled with the scents of burning incense and people smoking from the sheesha pipes at the pavement cafes. Then there are the aromas and colours from the spice market.

I had read about the spice market before coming here, and was looking forward to a visit. It is a whole subset of the Souq, with more shops than it seems possible could be sustained, selling every spice imaginable, along with nuts, dried fruits, seeds, loose tea and local sweets. The produce is mostly sourced from across the Middle East and Asia.

Everything is sold loose, so that you can buy as much or as little as you wish. The photos that follow give some impression.

It is also very reasonably priced. I bought about 300g of Qatari spices – a local mix of 9 different spices – for 3 QAR, working out about 60p (or under 1 US Dollar). I also bought some loose green tea from Iran.

We chose a pick and mix bag of local sweets to eat as we walked around – mostly comprising nougat, nuts, dates and often with bitter fruit jelly or rose petal coatings.

As regular followers will know, the Middle East is a stop for me on the way to spending some time in Australia. A plan is developing in my head to marinade chicken pieces in the Qatari spices mixed with yoghurt, and barbecue them on skewers for our family and guests on Christmas Day in the sun. Future posts will tell if that comes off!

As for musical choice, I was astounded to realise recently that one of my favourite all-time bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees, have yet to appear on the ADK Spotify Playlist. With this post, however, your time has come, Sioux. Cue Arabian Knights.