Public Service Announcement {Salted Caramel Bread Pudding recipe}

This is a public service announcement. A necessary spreading of news if you will.

Salted Caramel Bread Pudding is a thing and your life may never be the same.

    Exhibit A

Now, as I say, I am merely spreading the word. This is my little modification of a recipe Smitten Kitchen (a very seriously good food/recipe blogger with a cookbook- check her out) posted a month or so ago. My version has a bigger toffee to bread pudding ratio (because toffee is important), is slightly less eggy and most importantly includes hot cross buns.

A little slice of Fitzroy in Ascot Vale {Public Life review}

Just after moving to the inner North/West of Melbourne (from the hipster capital of Fitzroy no less), I came upon this sign

 That bit scratched out at the top (no doubt by a kindred spirit) says "Temperence Town".

Here's a close up of the worst part

The covenant was only lifted in 2002- getting a brand new liquor licence is not an easy thing and ten years is not a long time to overcome such a restriction.

Pretty concerning huh?

At the time (2012) there were great breakfast/brunch cafes (and some pretty super bakeries), but for drinking I ventured further afield.

However, things are looking up. Union Food and Wine has sorted some fine dining in Ascot Vale and late last year Public Life opened to look after the fine drinking needs of the locals.

Four Autumns

I didn't have much of a concept of Autumn before I moved to Melbourne. In Brisbane, autumn just means you don't need a fan on anymore and you don't need a jumper yet. Deciduous trees are negligible. I'm sure they exist but I think they are terribly confused and probably just have their leaves blown off in August, ready or not, when the westerlies terrorise the Ekka-goers (Brissy slang for the exhibition/ Royal Brisbane Show).

There is a special feeling in the air in early March, but whether that is Autumn making his presence known or just the anticipation of my birthday, I'll never know.

What I do know is that Brisbane certainly doesn't have a 'fall'.

Melbourne has got autumn DOWN. Everywhere you look the foliage is changing colour, the ground is gradually becoming blanketed by leaves; and it rains (and rains, and rains), refreshing the toasted grass back to greenness.

Wine Club

Every couple of months (not often enough if you ask me) I get together with some wine-y friends for a wine club. It is a great way to try lots of different things and learn about wine (and eat a lot and drink in moderation of course:)

This is The Wine Captain (she actually has a wine education business called this) organising the troups.