Wednesday 19 August
Sightseeing, shopping and shows in Melbourne - so much to choose from, but first a recipe.
Delicious fruit breads, cut thick, toasted and served hot, popped up on menus all over the place. We tried a few. One of the most delicious was a golden rich pumpkin based variety. I came home with the flavour strongly in my memory taste buds and took a basic recipe and added to it to achieve the ‘moreish’ texture and taste we had enjoyed.
Golden pumpkin and mango bread
2 to 3 kg piece of pumpkin (½ an average sized pumpkin), skin on
½ cup safflower oil
¼ cup golden syrup
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup yoghurt
1 egg
½ tsp salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
½ cup finely chopped dried fruit like mango
Place seeded pumpkin flesh side down on lightly oiled baking tray and cook in pre-heated oven at 350 F/180C till tender for about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and dice into 1cm squares. Put a quarter of prepared pumpkin aside and place rest in blender with oil and process till smooth. Add golden syrup, maple syrup, yoghurt, egg, salt and cinnamon and blend lightly till well mixed. Add sifted flour and baking soda and blend lightly again till free of lumps. Pour mixture into large bowl and stir in remaining diced pumpkin and mango. Put mixture in 8 to 9 inch/20 to 23cm x 4 to 5 inch/10 to 12cm loaf tin. Bake in 350F/180C pre-heated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, till a wooden skewer poked in the centre comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, then remove from tin.
Cool completely before slicing. I sliced thickly and wrap each slice in clingwrap, place the lot in a well-sealed plastic container and freeze it. It’s perfect then to take out as needed to grill or toast and serve with butter or rice bran spread.
Back to sightseeing, shopping and shows. We booked online to see Jersey Boys – The story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. playing at the glorious cast iron filigree and marble decorated Victorian Princess Theatre in Spring Street.
I had wanted to do this by phone to request aisle seats, but the only contact I could find was the online booking option (www.ticketek.com.au). Unbelievably, with a full house and capacity for an audience of 1488, the A class seats in the Grand Circle we were issued, were on the aisle and just as well. Alex is over 6 feet (1.85m) and at 5ft5 (1.65m), my two knees were jammed tight against the back of the seat in front. That was the only minor downside.
The show was fabulous. The totally committed and talented cast gave us a vibrant, toe tapping unforgettable performance. We couldn’t believe we knew so many of their songs – Sherry, Oh what a night, Big girls don’t cry, Walk like a man, Rag Doll, Can’t take my eyes off you and so many others.
Shopping beckoned for one and was ho hum for the other. We both did however enjoy, South Melbourne and Prahan food markets, as well as Toorak and Armadale villages with their mix of book, house and food shops and good cafes. Esprit de Famille, The French Shop at 537 Toorak Road www.espritdefamille.com is a favourite. It’s just down from the Haigh chocolate shop where the sight and smell of handmade chocolate truffles and bars and gourmet chocolates filled with creams, fondants, fruit, nuts, nougats and liqueurs, is irresistible.
Day walks in South Melbourne took us to Park, Clarendon and Bridport Streets, Richardson Road and Victoria Avenue to enjoy heritage homes. In North Melbourne, we walked the length of Drummond Street, lined on both sides with charming 19th century unspoilt terrace houses, stone town houses, alongside stone apartments just two or three stories high.
Sightseeing was all daytime except for a twilight trip up the Eureka Tower to the floor 88 skydeck. It’s the world’s tallest residential building and the viewing deck is the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s an amazing 360degrees view, and for further excitement, we could feel the tower top flexing on the windy night we visited.
