As part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2012, we were invited along to "Food, Memories and Mary", an event at Hellenic Republic.  Apart from PM24, I'd never visited one of George Calombaris' restaurants, so was interested to see what it would be like.  This event was a bit different from the restaurant's usual offering though, in that it was a special Cypriot sharing menu created by George's mum, Mary.

Hellenic Republic
434 Lygon Street
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Ph: (03) 9381-1222
Website

Olives - Cracked green olives, coriander and lemon Hoummi Kopanisti - Chickpea dip

Zalatina - Pork in lemon and vinegar jelly

Kolokotes - Pastries stuffed with pumpkin

Ravioles - Fried ravioli haloumi and mint

Soupies Krasatiko - Cuttlefish braised in red wine Pilafi - Burghal pilaf

Kounoupidi - Fried cauliflower with lemon

Loukaniko - Handmade sausages, red wine & pastourma

Rollo - Spiced meatloaf

Ortikia Sharas - Chargrilled quail

Horiatiki Salata - Village Salad

Salata Kokkinovoulia - Beetroot salad, olive oil and garlic

Patates Antinahtes - Cracked spring potatoes, red wine and coriander

A little ouzo after the meal to aid digestion...

Ouzo

...and then it was time for dessert!



Look at all that kataifi pastry...

How many Melbourne restaurateurs does it take to make Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto? Two to spoon over the sauce, two to scoop the ice-cream, one to inspect the finished product, and one to take a photo for Twitter!

Ekmek Kataifi Pagoto

This dessert comprised kataifi pastry filled with custard, mastic ice-cream, and preserved cherries.  I found the cherries a little sweet, but loved the contrast between crisp pastry, smooth custard and cool mastic ice-cream.

A cup of fortifying Greek coffee, and the meal was over!

Greek Coffee

Ever since our last Mexican feast, my cousin Catherine (AKA "Cuz") and I have been trying to organise another one.  That one was two and a half years ago, and even a less-than-inspiring dinner at the terribly overrated Mamasita in between hadn't kicked us into gear.  Oops!  But finally, last month, everything fell into place, and we managed to arrange lunch for one afternoon.  Well, almost everything.

Sarah: Are we all free this Sunday? Can we finally do our Mexican feast?
Cuz: I think so! But wait a minute, (my Mexican boyfriend) Oscar won't be able to come.
Sarah: Wait, can we really have a Mexican feast without any Mexicans?
Cuz: Why not? The rest of Melbourne is doing it!

Woah, feel the burn, Melbourne dining scene!  Hehehe!

With quite a bit to cook, we split up the shopping and cooking duties between our five attendees.  I make no particular claims to authenticity here, we just chose a variety of dishes that we liked the sound of and that we thought would work well together.  Most of our recipes were googled or improvised, and the two recipes that I did follow came from two non-Mexican authors: David Lebovitz and Martha Stewart.

The night before I baked a tres leches cake (Martha recipe, available here) - a simple sponge cake soaked in a mixture of condensed, evaporated and regular milks.  I also prepared slow-cooked pork carnitas, using David Lebovitz' recipe. I learned the hard way these should not be spelled "carnitos" unless you want to refer to a part of the male anatomy!  The pieces of pork shoulder need to be fried, then cooked in the oven with a little water and a lot of spices.  Frying the pieces of pork resulted in a bit of a splattery, oily mess, but this was easily forgotten once the tray was stashed safely in the oven.

Carnitas, before going in the oven.  I love the ochre colours of the spices!

I had managed to find whole ancho chillies at Leo's Supermarket, which I used as a substitute for the dried ancho chilli powder David includes in his recipe - I'd never tried them before, but I love their sweet aroma and their intense black colour!

Dried ancho chillies

Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce; the completed marinadee

I cut some chicken thighs into strips, and slathered them Cuz' improvised marinade: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, an onion and honey.  We placed the soupy, moist mixture in the oven, where they took about an hour at 180C to cook through.  (The carnitas were reheated on the shelf below the chicken).

Meanwhile, I made some tortillas using some masa flour that Cuz had brought, and a hastily googled recipe.  Without a tortilla press, or any previous tortilla-making experience, we really just winged it.  I made the dough (kneaded by machine), whilst Sandra had the tedious job of rolling out the dough and frying them.  (Phew, it takes ages!)

Tortilla dough

My friend Kristine made some classic Tex-Mex nachos for us all to nibble on while lunch was being prepared: corn chips, cheese, hot salsa, sour cream, and fresh guacamole that Cuz had prepared seconds earlier.

Nachos! Tex Mex heaven!

My friend Alae was in charge of cocktails.  Mojitos, whilst not Mexican themselves, were an acceptable south-of-the-border substitute for margaritas when we realised no-one had any triple sec.

Mojitos! (Before soda water was added).

Cuz also brought these fab Mexican drinks, which, in the hustle and bustle of the day, we didn't get around to drinking.  Oh well, next time!

Orgeat / Orchata and Jamaica Flower drink concentrates

Lunch!

Tortillas

Our tortillas were rather irregularly shaped, and some were more like large crackers than soft flatbreads, but I still thought they were pretty good for a first go!  (The recipe had said "add water until the dough looks right", I clearly had no idea what "looks right" meant exactly).  Whilst not perfect, they had that wonderful corny aroma from the masa flour.  Cuz gave us a couple of kilos of the flour to keep, so I'll have lots of opportunity to practise making tortillas!

Carnitas

The spicy carnitas tasted fabulous, although I found some of the pieces to be a bit hard - I think I may have overcooked them a little, so next time I'll use more liquid and shorten the cooking time.

Chipotle Chicken

Much easier to make than the carnitas, and dare I say it, even tastier, was Cuz' chipotle chicken, with its flavourful, soupy gravy and tender meat.  It was slightly sweet from the barbecue and Worcestershire sauces, with a background of heat from the chipotle chillies.  I'm definitely making this one again!  Hot tip: stir through some cream or sour cream at the end for a smoother taste.

Frijoles Negros

Cuz had prepared the frijoles negros in advance, and we just reheated them in the microwave before we ate.  A very loose recipe: soak black beans in water overnight, then simmer for a few hours in a mixture of tomato paste, onion, coriander (seed, leaf and root), cumin, a bay leaf, cinnamon, oregano, orange rind, orange juice, stock and any roast chicken fat or carcass that you might have on hand.  It's so nutritious and filling, and I can definitely understand why versions of frijoles negros are a staple across Latin America.

Pico de Gallo

A bowl of pico de gallo provided a welcome sharp contrast to all the heavy proteins.  It's a mixture of tomatoes, red onions and coriander, all finely chopped, and dressed generously with lime juice, salt, pepper and some olive oil.  I adore this flavour combination!

Guacamole

For me, a Mexican feast isn't complete without guacamole - no tomatoes please, just ripe avocados, finely chopped onions, coriander, salt, pepper and a big squeeze of lime juice.

Cabbage Salad

I also whipped up a vaguely Mexican-inspired cabbage salad - a quarter of a red cabbage and half a red onion, finely shredded in the processor, with fresh coriander, a finely chopped jalapeño, a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of a whole lime tossed through.  Very refreshing, and I thought it was so cool that the cabbage and onion pieces immediately softened and turned a blushing pink upon contact with the lime juice.

Party on a plate!

Although there was a lot of food, and we stuffed ourselves silly, somehow by late afternoon (perhaps aided by a few mojitos!), we were ready for dessert: the tres leches cake, served with Mexican coffee.  And by "Mexican Coffee", I simply mean plain coffee topped with a little whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon powder.

Tres Leches cake, Mexican coffee, super-cute baby milk jug (thanks Sandra!!), and Rapadura sugar

I'd never made tres leches cake before, and I was worried that a plain sponge cake, enriched with condensed milk, would either be too sweet or too soggy, but this wasn't the case.  It was absolutely gorgeous, very moist and light, with an almost puddingy texture.  My friend Kristine described it as being like suji cake (Nyonya semolina cake), which should be more than enough incentive to get baking!  As far as I'm aware, whipped cream is not a traditional topping, but it made the whole cake look very pretty, and the bland fattiness of the cream was a welcome foil to the cake.

The next day I made some fab tostadas with the leftovers - tortillas with chipotle chicken or beans, topped with cheese and grilled until bubbling and crisp, and finished with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.  So delicious!

The last day of our visit through the Goulburn River Valley was spent exploring Binney Street, in the town of Euroa.  There are a lot of fab little shops and cafes on this strip, and it's a great spot to spend a weekend morning.  (N.B. A lot of the shops seem to close around midday on Saturday, so get in early!)


The Weekend Local
45 Binney Street
Euroa VIC 3666
Ph: 0417 363 992
Website

Only open on weekends, The Weekend Local stocks a selection of great products sourced from within 150 kilometres of Euroa.  Lots of regulars pop in for coffees and biscuits too.


I loved checking out all the products available, most of which I'd never seen before in Melbourne, including olive oil made from their own olive grove.  Properly 'local' local produce!



The displays were all attractive and well-maintained - I was amazed by how much they could fit into the small store!  They also have a good focus on gluten-free products - cake mixes, biscuits and that sort of thing.



Fare Enough
55 Binney Street
Euroa VIC 3666
Ph: (03) 5795-1667
Website

Owner Wendy Lunghusen opened Fare Enough after moving to the region and realising there was a gap in the market for a whole-foods store.  They sell an excellent range of grains, seeds, flours, cereals, nuts, dairy products, oils, sauces and dressings.  Think, specialty items like organic rapadura sugar, incredibly fresh nuts, oat bran, malt extract, wheat flakes, wild rice, soy grits...


You can also buy loose leaf teas, or sit in and enjoy a coffee.

Or perhaps buy some sushi or other light lunches!

Most exciting for me were the big containers of honey and tahini!  Tahini!! If only I'd brought a bucket with me...

Cacao!

Fare Enough, Euroa

A friend of mine had recommended Albert's Cafe to me, so I was especially glad when I saw it was on our itinerary.  It's a cosy cafe with a warm atmosphere - a lovely spot to get some respite from the rain!





They have a concise weekend lunch menu - when we were there it included items like an open sandwich with Avenel smoked ham, coleslaw, gherkins & a mustard aioli ($14), a focaccia with chicken, avocado, bacon & Swiss cheese ($12.50), and an eye fillet served on a potato rosti with spinach, Swiss brown mushrooms & balsamic ($19.50).

I would have loved - loved, I tell you! - to try the open sandwich or the eye fillet, but we were still so full from The Butter Factory's substantial breakfast that all we could manage was to share a slice of frittata between us. (I know, I know, total fail on my part!)

Roasted sweet potato, spinach, black olives, cherry tomato & bocconcini cheese frittata served with salad - $12.50

The frittata was impressive - nice and eggy, with a good range of vegetables, which were cooked through but still retained a nice bite.

I'm not much of a soft-drink drinker, but I was in the mood for a little something sweet, so ordered an Old-Style Lime squash, thinking it would be a muted pale green drink, much like a San Pellegrino...

So have another drink of green elixir... And we'll have ourselves a little mixer...

...I didn't realise it would be such an intense green! Woah! A real Elphaba green!  (Probably a good thing I had a little extra energy for the long drive home).

After lunch, we were invited into the kitchen to have a chat to the chef, and spied this gorgeous cake coming out of the oven.

Cake cooling down

I was so full that I hadn't even contemplated dessert or coffee... but after seeing that cake come out of the oven, I knew it would be a wasted trip if I didn't at least try one of their cakes!

Albert's Cafe's selection of cakes

The staff there kindly packed up a piece of rhubarb and raspberry crumble cake (with cream!) to take home.

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble Cake

The drive home ended up being a bit stressful - it was bucketing down with rain, there was very poor visibility, and loads of big trucks on the Hume Highway.  Not fun!  So I was very happy to have a nice piece of cake to enjoy at home with a cup of tea.  And you know what?  The cake was incredible!  So buttery and moist, with a beautiful sour contrast from the raspberries and rhubarb.  I think there may have been a bit of nut meal in the batter, but I can't be sure.  Perhaps if they'd be kind enough to share the recipe with me...?

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble Cake