Ok! November Unblogged Files time! Lots of deliciousness this month as usual!

Let's look at some breakfasts. The long weekend at the start of November was an excuse for PANCAKES! I loved Joy The Baker's overnight yeasted pancakes (recipe in Homemade Decadence), which I served with blueberries, maple syrup and maple-glazed bacon...

Overnight yeasted pancakes with blueberries and maple-glazed bacon

... and on Cup Day, I whipped up a batch of Megan J Gordon's faaaaabulous wholegrain buttermilk pancakes (recipe in Whole-Grain Mornings), this time with normal grilled bacon, blueberries & maple syrup.

Wholegrain Pancakes

And here are some non-pancake breakfasts:

Top: Cheese & Tomato Toasties; Yogurt, Berries & Coconut Sugar Middle: Raspberry Oatmeal Swirls; Buttered Light Rye Toast with Scrambles & "Hot Cow" cheese Bottom: Garlic Rolls with Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon; Yogurt, Berries, Muesli

Sandra bought me a big bag of bagels from the new 5 and Dime Bagel shop (Katherine Place, Melbourne, Vic 3000), which meant fab bagels for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yay! We got two already made up (onion bagel with spring vegetable schmear; plain with maple bacon schmear) and some unfilled ones, which I had with cream cheese and Harris Smokehouse smoked salmon.

Bagels

One night, for a totally decadent celebration, we cracked open a bottle of 2004 Dom Pérignon and had it with a Brillat-Savarin. Boom.

Dinner

Other dinners at home weren't quite as decadent, but still delicious...

Clockwise from top left: Kassler with bread dumplings & red cabbage; Steak w fried potatoes & sauteed spinach; Celeriac & bacon penne; Chicken jambalaya with creole sauce; Fleischkaese im Broetchen mit Wurst

The Double came back to KFC in November... and of course that meant I did as well. Two zinger patties, hash brown, zinger sauce, bacon, cheese. Argh so much yum.

The Double

I didn't do a lot of cafe or brunch visits in November, but I did seem to find myself at Plantation (Level 2, Melbourne Central 300 La Trobe Street, Melbourne) quite often...

Plantation coffees

 ...and I did enjoy a quick breakfast at Olio and Pane (328 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122) one morning!

Olio & Pane - Cappuccino and Raspberry Almond Cake

Here are some cheap eats I enjoyed throughout the month...

Top left: Gozleme from The Borek Bakehouse (481 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000) Top right: Sheftalia Souvlaki from Kalamaki Greek Street Food (389 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000) Bottom: Lachmachun & Chips from Wrap it Up Cuisine (244 High Street, Kew VIC 3101)

Top Left: Pork mince & beans and eggplant from Best Food Gallery (599 Station St, Box Hill S VIC 3128) Top middle: Pan fried mini Shanghai pork buns from Noodle Kingdom (264 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000) Top right: Pork threads & garlic chives and pork mince & beans from Dainty Sichuan (218 Bourke St Melbourne VIC) Bottom Left: Pork and Bean noodles from Dumplings Plus (Emporium) Bottom Centre: Chicken Pho & Viet Iced Coffee from Pho Nom (Emporium) Bottom right: Barley Beef Bimbimbap from Anju (18 Little La Trobe St Melbourne, VIC 3000)

One night, the lovely Ashley from I'm So Hungree invited me to join her for risotto at Tutto Bene (28 Southgate Ave., Southgate Shopping Complex, Southbank VIC 3006). It was so lovely sitting on the balcony, enjoying a glass of wine in the warm evening!

Cheers!

We enjoyed their spanner crab risotto, and shared a couple of desserts: a pretty pretty Eton mess, and a very impressive tartufo, made of banana gelato with a salted olive oil centre. (N.B. the wine and risotti were complimentary because Ash had been invited to review them, and we paid for the desserts). I've always loved Tutto Bene, but I feel like the desserts have really, really improved since our last visit.

Tutto Bene

Our friend Duncan had us over for a lovely lunch - homemade pretzels, fried chicken, fried potatoes and chocolate mousse. Wow!

Duncan's Lunch

Here are a couple of little treats I enjoyed this month that I really wanted to share with you!

This peanut butter choc chip cookie sandwich made by Butterbing Melbourne was incredible! Rich creamy peanut butter frosting and two super rich, chewy dark chocolate cookies. Wow.

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookie Sandwich

I know I said I was on a donut ban... but then the grad at work bought me a Short Stop Donuts donut because I never shut up about them, and it was a flavour I hadn't tried before and then I was off the wagon. Fluffy raised donut with vanilla bean glaze - sweet but super yum!

Vanilla Bean Raised Donut

Another day I had a serious chocolate craving, so I baked Dorie Greenspan's French chocolate brownies, with brandy-flamed raisins. They were soooo good! You gotta try this recipe!

Dorie Greenspan's French Brownies with Brandy-Flamed Raisins

Last week, I was invited to the re-launch of La Chinesca (71 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000) - lots of food, lots of cocktails, and a live salsa band! The highlights were the great cocktails, the super tender beef asado and the chips! I really want to go back another night and try more from the menu.

La Chinesca: Beef Asado; Grilled Scallops lomo saltado & lomo; CHIPS

And finally, I got promoted at work this month (woohoo!), so I had a little celebration dinner with my parents at home - Dad brought champagne, and I made Jamie Oliver's rigatoni with sweet tomatoes, eggplant and mozzarella...

Champagne, Rigatoni

 ... and some fluffy fluffy garlic buns!

Super fluffy garlic rolls

And that was November! December plans: hosting a barbecue (it's been ages since we entertained!), a little trip overseas (yay!), and a very very low key Christmas. I'm not even in the mood for baking or cooking a big meal, and so far, all that my family have decided on is CHAMPAGNE. Lots of. Hooray!