After a couple of indulgent weekends my body was crying out for some clean, simple, healthy food. It was perfect timing then that I was selected as one of Lana Purcell’s ‘guinea pigs’ for her new Girls Gone Clean program. Lana is a “healthy life styler” based on the Bellarine Peninsula and was seeking volunteers to test out the new cleanse before she gave it to her clients – the cleanse had us trading meat, coffee and alcohol for baked sweet potatoes, soups and green juices – and it was surprisingly easy and enjoyable to do. I lost a couple of kg’s over the week and, more importantly, picked up some knowledge and recipes about raw, vegetarian and vegan food.

I had to share the recipe for this soup, as I was hesitant but intrigued when I first saw it on our diet plans. Creamy cashew and corn soup, read the recipe, and I couldn’t even imagine what it would taste like. After a quick whiz in the Thermomix I was extremely happy with the result and will be eating this soup regularly even when I’m not detoxing.

Creamy Cashew Corn Soup

3 1⁄4 cups fresh corn

2 cups water

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

To my Geelong readers – did you see me in today’s Geelong Advertiser?  Last week Addy journalist Cameron Best came to check out Terindah Estate, with a focus on our use of social media channels and our plans for the Toast to the Coast festival. He wrote a great piece  that I think really sums up my love of food and new media.

Excellent pepper steak with great crispy chips at Montmartre Cafe

After spending the first half of September in Queensland, mostly pigging out on steaks…

AMAZING rainbow and mint chic chip ice creams with sprinkle cones at Sea World

ice creams…

My favourite kebabs EVER in the whole world at Sahara – we went back more times than I’d like to admit…

kebabs…

We’d heard that BBQ Baron was supposed to be a pretty decent burger joint but this experience was very average.

and burgers…

French Vanilla Pancakes – stack of 3 pancakes with butter and maple syrup ($10, fruit and ice cream extra)

….I got back into the (only slightly) healthier meals once I returned home to Geelong and back to reality. This month there were some great breakfasts, starting with Biagio’s – a relaxed yet professional Italian dining room in Niddrie. Jono’s pancakes were pretty much flawless, fluffy and hot served with real maple syrup and generous portions of fruit and ice cream.

Eggs Florentine – 2 softly poached eggs with spinach and hollandaise sauce on a toasted English muffin ($10).

My eggs florentine brekky was great too, and the hollandaise – although not the best I’ve had – was laced with wholegrain mustard in a refreshing take on the famous sauce.

Biagio’s

336A Keilor Road, Niddrie

VIC 3042

(03) 9379 1777

Lemon meringue pie ($13)

Armageddon Cake is a cute little dessert bar that opened in late 2011 and, despite hearing rave reviews, I only managed to get myself down there a few weeks ago. We should have visited sooner – the venue is more ‘lounge’ than ‘bar’; in fact, it’s just like being in a friend’s lounge room. Jono loved it as he got to sink into one of the big, old, comfy chairs in the front corner and relax with a hot chocolate and a massive piece of cake. As well as the pie, we had an excellent sticky date pudding, and the coffees and peach nectar were delicious too. Armageddon Cake’s friendly staff serve up an ever-changing menu Thursday to Saturday from 8pm-11pm. It’s a much needed nightspot for Geelong – I love that they don’t even open until many of Geelong’s restaurants are closing their kitchens.

Armageddon Cake

7 McLarty Place, Geelong

VIC 3220

0435 527 804

63 big brekky with scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, spinach, hash brown & kransky sausage on zeally bay sourdough toast w side of 63 baked beans ($21).

and

Sweet potato & bacon hash cakes with roasted beetroot relish, rosemary & feta scrambled egg with chive hollandaise ($16.5)

You can’t really go wrong when it comes to 63 Degrees and breakfasts (except for the unfortunate time when I took Jono out for his first 63 experience in Highton and he was served extremely watery poached eggs…). Generally, both the Highton and Pakington Street stores get it right and I couldn’t help but revisit an old favourite, the sweet potato and bacon hash cakes. I love this meal; the hash cakes are beautiful little balls of carbs that go perfecctly with the fresh beetroot relish, the scrambled eggs are always creamy and the hollandaise sauce at 63 is probably my favourite in Geelong. Jono was equally happy with his big, man sized breakfast.

63 Degrees Highton

87A Barrabool Road, Highton

VIC 3216

(03) 5241 6833

Two scrambled eggs on sourdough with smoked salmon and hollandaise ($15.50)

The new Winter’s spring menu is fantastic – it has some really interesting breakfast choices that you wouldn’t find anywhere else in Geelong, like an open crab omelette with fresh papaya salad, or vodka cured salmon gravlax on charred rye with sauce vierge, cottage cheese and micro herbs. On this occasion, however, I craved a simple breakfast of eggs and smoked salmon, again with my old favourite, hollandaise – Winter’s takes second place in the best hollandaise in Geelong competition I just started in my head.

Winter’s Cafe

330 Pakington Street, Newtown

VIC 3220

(03) 5221 8832

Jono and I took a trip to my old neighbourhood, Port Melbourne, for lunch before catching the VFL semi final. I’ve only been up that way a handful of times since moving back to Geelong two years ago, and it was interesting to see how many of the local cafes are no longer there or have changed hands. Port Melbourne can be a really funny place for dining out and it took us a while to settle on a venue. Creme was nothing spectacular, but it did the job – we ordered a big, carb-y lunch of pasta, Turkish bread and arancini balls. The portions were big and good value, and while this place won’t have you raving, it’s a quick, reliable option with lots of menu choice.

Creme

70 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

VIC 3207

(03) 9646 9994

And it wouldn’t be a round up without a few dishes from my work at The Shed @ Terindah Estate – this month for staff lunches we’ve been treated to some really beautiful eye fillet served simply as is, or in a fresh salad accompanied by organic chicken, confit garlic bread and Andy Pye’s famous Russian potato salad.

45 Collins Street

Melbourne

VIC 3000

(03) 9654 8545

I’ve been far too busy lately to attend to the backlog of draft posts waiting to be published on this blog, but I have to share these images from Mark Best’s Pei Modern – my new favourite restaurant.

These photos are from Pei Modern’s mini degustation, excellent value at $50 per person.

Parmesan, anchovy shortbread

Blue swimmer crab, almond gazpacho

Seared calamari, spinach puree

Pork, quince, radicchio

Vanilla bean ice cream, rhubarb

Sorrel ice cream

I’ve been to Pei Modern twice now and ordered this gazpacho both times – it’s fantastic, with each flavour component (the smooth, creamy gazpacho; the soft crab; the fresh, crisp grapes and the strong taste of the coriander) playing its part and working in harmony with all the other ingredients. I love this restaurant for the way it provides really beautiful, innovative meals at an excellent price, and I love that you can come for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just have a bite at the Pei Bar. As well as the amazing food, the venue itself is great and the team is solid – Sommelier-manager Ainslie Lubbock recently took out the Good Food Guide’s Service Excellence Award, and Pei Modern itself won Best New Restaurant. Congrats to an excellent and very worthy team.

255 Grubb Road

Wallington

Victoria 3221

(03) 5255 1255

oakdene.com.au

It was a work dinner and I wasn’t going to worry about taking snaps, but after the amazing food, wine and service we had at Oakdene I had to share. From Wednesday to Saturday, Oakdene offers a choice of entrée and main course for $58 per person.

Diamantina Wagyu Eye Fillet Carpaccio, Crispy Potato, Truffle  Pecorino, Soft Egg Gribiche, Watercress Salad, Horseradish Snow

This was incredible, the highlight of the night for me in terms of food. The flavour of the cheese and truffle was so strong, balanced out by the delicate wagyu. Served cold, this was a dish that really focused on textures and made for an interesting and surprising meal.

14hr Kurobuta Sticky Pork Belly, Roasted Sea Scallop, Shredded Raw Potato & Garlic Slaw, Crispy Pigs Ear

Queenscliff King Fish, Portarlington Mussels, Finger lime Salad, Pickled Wombok

Broccolini with slivered almonds

We polished everything off very easily; it’s the kind of food that leaves you wishing you could pick up your plate and lick it clean. The sauces on my kingfish were so moreish and left me scraping up every last bit.

Oakdene Dessert Tasting Plate

The menu reads:

Selection of our desserts served on a platter to share
(Minimum 2 person’s $5 pp supplement)

Lemon Meringue & Strawberry Gateaux, Crème Fraiche Sherbet

Textures of Chocolate, Honeycomb Ice-Cream

Banana, Toffee & Espresso Cream Pie, Salted Caramel Ice-Cream

“Knickerbokerglory” Peach Nectar, Peach Yoghurt, Peach Compote,
 Strawberry Granita, Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

 This is how I love doing dessert – tasting just a little bit of everything. The salted caramel ice-cream was fantastic, the highlight of the plate for me.

Oakdene is a fabulous special occasion restaurant. The venue consistently receives rave reviews from both in-the-know locals, and visitors travelling long distances just to experience the incredible food, and now I understand why – it’s well worth the drive.

Sydney Opera House

Sunday night’s episode of MasterChef was exciting for me and Mum. We’ve just returned from a girl’s weekend in Sydney where we spent out first night at the amazing Guillaume at Bennelong, and it gave us a buzz to see all the amazing dishes we ate again – as well as seeing the very wait staff who served us. Last week we chose to have a sort of mini degustation – a choice of dishes from a four course menu for $140 per person.

The restaurant has a good cocktail list with an emphasis on martinis. We decided to start the night off with a few excellent Japanese slippers…

… and a choice of two complimentary breads: slices of fresh sourdough, or this brioche with caramelised onions – a beautiful little starter and a nice point of difference to the plain bread often served in fine dining restaurants.

OYSTERS

cucumber jelly, yuzu cream

As soon as I saw oysters on the starters menu, there was nothing more to think about. Cucumber jelly was a great accompaniment – it let you taste the fresh, salty oysters whilst just providing a bit of clean, refreshing flavour.

DUCK RILLETTES

duck parfait, port jelly, truffle salad, brioche

Similar to a pate, the rich duck and truffle salad was matched perfectly with simple brioche.

SCALLOPS

(R0ttnest Island, Western Australia)

lemon emulsion, watercress veloute, Sterling caviar

This was probably my favourite dish, and both of us ordered it. This was scallops at their best and as they should be; plump, perfectly cooked and with a beautiful texture. The lemon emulsion looked so delicate yet was so full of tangy flavour, and the crisp disk of potato was the perfect base for those little bubbles of caviar.

STEAMED PINK SNAPPER

clams, mussels, braised endive, sea urchin butter

Continuing on with my seafood theme for the evening, I chose a beautiful, delicate piece of snapper served with a rich butter and Guillaume’s famous ‘Paris mash’ – the most silky smooth mashed potato I’ve ever had. The waiters came around with a big bowl of the mash and served it right there at the table. The creamy, buttery mash is, as described here by The Age, “potato heaven and wickedness itself”, but a spoonful is worth every calorie.

DEBONED RIB EYE OF TAJIMA WAGYU BEEF

(500 day grain fed, F1, marble grade 7-8)

shimeji mushroom, baby spinach, shallot, merlot sauce

As happy as I was with my main, I’d have to say that Mum’s pick was the winner – amazingly cooked wagyu was served with fairly simple sides and sauces to let the amazing rib eye remain the star of the dish.

 Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries

Between courses, we were served these little complimentary desserts. We laughed when we saw it was a panna cotta – my Mum is not a fan after a few bad experiences – but it was great and even she actually really enjoyed it.

FRESH RASPBERRIES

pistachio gateaux, vanilla cream, creme brûlée, raspberry sorbet

This is such a simple looking dessert but there is so much going on on this plate. Always a sucker for creme brûlée, I loved the way these mini brûlées were served, perfectly circular and standing on their own. Smooth vanilla cream was a perfect base for the raspberry-themed dish, and those simple, fresh, plump raspberries were left to shine on their own.

VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

vanilla bean and cherry ripple ice cream

As I’ve mentioned previously on the blog I don’t have a massive sweet tooth, but this was a perfect chocolate souffle that would leave any chocoholic in absolute heaven. The souffle was brought to the table with its top still intact, then our waiter spooned the vanilla bean and cherry ripple ice cream on top. It pierced the surface of the souffle and sunk to the middle, forming an amazing mix of flavours and hot, cold, smooth and gooey textures.

Our girls weekend was a special trip, and Guillaume at Bennelong was the perfect way to kick it off. Service was excellent and the food was unforgettable – I highly recommend it as a special occasion destination next time you’re down at the harbour.

90 McAdams Lane

Bellarine

3221 VIC

(03) 5251 5536

Here’s a selection of the beautiful meals I’ve been treated to at Rue Cler Market over the last month or so…

Duck and mushroom pasta

Organic chicken leg, beans, brussels sprouts, creamy potato mash

Marinated chicken legs, green salad, super crispy potato chips

Eggplant gnocchi

Organic “Purple Congo” potato pizza

Whole snapper and garlic mussels

Pumpkin and smoky bacon soup

… and cheesy toasts to go with your soup! A lot of this stuff is still on the menu at Terindah Estate right now, come check it out!

90 McAdams Lane

Bellarine

VIC 3221

03 5251 5536

I got a bit of a shock this morning when I checked the date of my last post on this blog. It’s been a while! In the last few months a lot has been going on for me in terms of combining my love of food and writing – including some local magazine work, more on that to come – and one of the latest exciting ventures has been my appointment as a social media/PR consultant for Rue Cler Market on the Bellarine.

This job isn’t like work at all, because I get to write, sample beautiful food in an amazing location, and be around others who are passionate about fresh produce and exciting ways of preparing and serving it.

Rue Cler Market is a catering company that started small and has built up a strong reputation through work with a number of high-profile clients and with the amazing experiences the team provides. It’s Andy Pye’s baby, and he truly does live and breathe this stuff.

Teaming up with peninsula winery Terindah Estate, the two forces have created The Shed @ Terindah Cellar Door and Café, open daily from 10am-4pm.

I’ll be covering the events and everyday happenings at RCM in more detail later, but for now, here’s a little sample of the awesome stuff I get to see, do and taste at this place.

Even something as simple as grilled cheese on toast takes on a new form here, with fresh herbs from the garden added to the bubbling cheese, served on top of house made bread that has that fantastic chewy, almost sweet flavour.

Fresh, fresh carrots – straight from Andy’s garden…

…become this beautiful heirloom carrot salad with Drysdale cheese and fresh Terindah herbs.

Roast organic chicken, seasonal vegetables

Staff lunch – crisp green salad, marinated organic chicken and probably the best, crunchiest chips I’ve ever had.

So far my tasks at Rue Cler Market have been varied, from managing social media accounts to checking out new event spaces in the city, developing media kits and of course, tasting the latest dishes to come out of the kitchen. It’s an awesome place to work at and I genuinely recommend that you get down here and check out the cafe; make a day of it and come down from Melbourne, or if you’re a Geelong resident, Terindah Estate is probably closer than you think. Andy says he wants to build his business up to be one of the best caterers in Australia, and I know he’s well on the way to achieving that.

65-71 Barrabool Road

Highton

(03) 5241 2933

darriwillfarm.com.au

It was a joyous occasion when Darriwill Farm opened its Highton doors some years ago. Finally there was a place in the little Belle Vue Avenue shopping centre serving breakfasts and lunches that strayed from the usual bacon and eggs or salad rolls, and whose coffee could be depended on for its consistency. Darriwill is an innovative cafe with a shop attached, selling a range of condiments, gifts, wines and kitchenware that may not be found elsewhere. The cafe has a regularly changing menu as well as a specials board that changes daily – a highlight being the grazing plate, a platter of little goodies that lets you sample a range of delicious things from the menu in bite sized serves.

Prawn pasta (about $18)

This was a dish from the specials board, described by our waitress as “spaghetti with tiger prawns, rocket,  roasted red peppers and capers”. What came out was the spaghetti, prawns and rocket, with red onion and peas. We joked that perhaps the waitress had confused peas with capers, and thought that maybe the red sauce the pasta was in had been made from roasted red peppers. It was a good dish with big, juicy prawns and a very nice sauce, but it was a little heavy on the peas and quite different to the dish that I was expecting to come out.

Big breakfast $21.40

A good, classic big brekky – although perhaps a little pricey.

Chicken, cannellini bean and red onion quesadilla  with a Cajun prawn and avocado salsa dressed salad (about $18)

A great example of Darriwill’s innovative dishes and signature “stack” style serving method. There’s a lot going on on this plate yet it all works.

French toast with smoked salmon, roast tomato and pumpkin, rocket, honey roasted almond flakes and a lemon aioli (about $18)

The cafe seems to like to take classic dishes, like French toast or eggs Benedict, and reinvent them somewhat. This was a lovely brunch dish. The sauces and dressings at Darriwill are always delicious and this lemon aioli was a winner.

Caesar salad (about $15)

This is probably the least exciting dish I’ve seen come out of the kitchen. It’s fine for a simple Caesar but I was surprised at the average quality of that bed of lettuce.

French toast with smoked salmon, rocket, capers and basil pesto oil (about $15)

This dish came from the specials board, another take on the classic French toast. The whole dish was a triumph, with each flavour working together perfectly and the basil pesto oil leaving you wanting more without overpowering the rest of the dish.

The Highton shopping centre now has many more dining options than it had in years gone by, and there’s plenty of places to get a more traditional breakfast/brunch/lunch if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you’re after something a little different and coffee you know you can depend on Darriwill Farm is worth a visit.

Geelong

3220

Ph: 0451 419 855

Waiting in line for a table is not at all unusual in Melbourne – some would even say it’s “the new black” – but down in Sleepy Hollow it’s not something cafe-goers have been used to in the past. Cue the arrival of laneway and carpark venues like Fuel and BoxOffice and suddenly it feels like there’s a new vibe in Geelong’s cafe and restaurant scene. A spot for joe – “spotties” or “joe’s” as my coffee companion Ella and I affectionately call it – opened late last year, turning an old school supplies shop into a cosy, cool little venue that wouldn’t look out of place in the trendiest of inner city laneways.

Today was my second visit to the cafe – on my first trip I got the map totally wrong and couldn’t figure out where it was. Today our other dining companion, Andy, called us for directions – “Ohhhh I know where you mean now. Don’t even ask me where I am!!” It’s fitting for a venue whose owners – adorable husband and wife team Jared and Talya – are very deliberately trying to bring “that Melbourne / New York feel to Geelong for everyone to enjoy”. On their Facebook page, they explain why they keep their promotions to a minimum, stating that ”a little mystery is part of the adventure and we hope you understand and appreciate this in your search to join us!” They’ve got a strong vision and it’s working; at lunch today the three of us got talking about how slowly, slowly, places just like this are changing the whole feel of Geelong’s dining culture.

A spot for joe is all about the cute touches, from the name itself, to the smarties that come served on a teaspoon with every hot drink, to the service – Talya came over and chatted to us while we waited to pounce on a table, recognising us both from our activity on the cafe’s Facebook page. In the last few years there’s been a few venues really pushing to change the expectations locals have of coffee in Geelong and this cafe now joins them. Coffee is a very important part of this business, and the excellent cups come courtesy of the famous Slayer machine - a beast which sets cafe owners back tens of thousands of dollars but, in the eyes of many hardcore coffee enthusiasts, is worth travelling for to receive the finished product. They do a great chai latte too.

Ready made lunches in a range of interesting varieties – like a baguette stuffed full of porchetta, house pickled slaw and green apple, or the hangover-curing chorizo breakfast panini – keep dining options fast and easy but still exciting, and there’s substantial meals on the all day breakfast menu, like house made bircher with fresh labna, blueberries & passionfruit coulis.

‘avochoke smash’ with avocado, artichoke, barrel aged Mt Vikos feta and vine ripe tomatoes on seeded sourdough ($11)

 Part of the all day breakfast menu, this scrumptious veggo brekky comes as is or with ham or smoked chicken for an extra $2. A beautiful, creamy mix of complementing flavours, the mixture atop the single piece of seedy toast is surprisingly filling and it’s a breakfast that leaves you satisfied rather than in a food coma. It’s also very reasonably priced, as is everything here.

Geelong ham, French cheese, vine ripened tomatoes, dijonnaise and rocket ($10)

After having tried it on previous visits, Ella returned to this baguette, a simple one but a favourite.

Photo courtesy of A spot for joe

The owners have been smart with the limited space they have, choosing creative but fuss free menu items that can be pre prepared and served quickly yet still taste fresh and delicious. Seating is a mix of counter, communal and individual tables, adding to that Melbourne-esq vibe. A spot for joe has got it just right in every way, from interesting menu items, fantastic coffee (and plenty of sweet treats to go with that, like lamingtons, baci’s and Argentinian alfajores), very friendly service and an amazing fit out and location – it’s places like this that breathe new life into Geelong’s dining scene and excite coffee and food lovers who, for so long, have pined for a taste of that city-style chic in our own little town.