Sandi Sieger’s guide to what’s hot and happy(ning) this week. Eat, drink, buy, try, visit, read, be merry.
EAT: Something From The Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
And the best way to show love is through a little kindness, a whole lot of community and 125 delicious plant-based recipes – exactly what the good folks at Edgar’s Mission are dishing up with their new Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook.
This warm-hearted book is full of soon-to-be favourites, from nourishing brekkies like smoky maple baked beans and punchy breakfast casserole, to ‘bowls of kindness’ like creamy vegan ramen and leek chowder.
There are tasty quick-fixes for lunches and weeknights, like tofu larb and jackfruit shawarma; perfect pot-luck plates to share with friends, from cheesy carbstrong bake to not-sausage rolls; and sweet treats like sticky date cake and Arlo’s coconut cacao bickies to gift (or keep!). And with a life- changing collection of hacks, substitutes and larder essentials to transform your dishes and stock your pantry, this is the ultimate guidebook to living a life led by kindness.
The recipes have been gifted to Edgar’s Mission by its extended community of everyday home cooks, chefs, nutritionists and some of our most-loved household names, including David Campbell, Osher Günsberg, Morgan Mitchell, Allday, DJ Tigerlily, Marieke Hardy and more – good folks who really care about the food on their plates.
DRINK: Clovendoe Distilling Co
Catie Fry and Sarah Bendy are the female founding team at Clovendoe Distilling Co, makers of zero proof and low alcoholic spirits – the only no and low niche distiller in Australia.
With a love of botanicals, distiller Catie (one of the few all female distilling companies in the world) uses 21 unique botanicals, ethically sourced or procured locally, distilling them in small batches in a one-of-a-kind traditional copper pot still. The infusions are just some of the botanicals used for each infusion. Catie’s process is very natural, pulling the pure vapours from the botanicals from her copper still pot.
With an increasing move to reduce alcohol consumption, sober curious people can still enjoy a drink while socialising.
Catie created the range, while breastfeeding her child, knowing there are many people who want to enjoy a drop with friends but feel good the next day. Clovendoe’s three zero-proof clear spirits (Seed, Sprout and Stem) are the first of its kind in Australia. Add to the mix low alcoholic range (Clovendoe 24) taking its place on the shelf in the mid strength white spirits range.
Seed is an Australian native kind of inspired lavender rosemary smell of your nanna’s backyard with lemon myrtle.
Sprout is inspired by the Middle East spice trail with cardamom, cinnamon, rose and grapefruit.
Stem is Asian inspired with lemongrass, mint and kaffir lime leaf.
Catie is no stranger to the distilling space, running the award winning gin and rum distillery, Saleyards Distillery, with her husband in Rockhampton. Catie is making the move to the Gold Coast, setting up Clovendoe HQ.
BUY: Skin Physics Serums
The Skin Physics collection is every skincare-lovers dream. Each product is packed full of concentrated, active ingredients (including crowd favourites Retinol and Hyaluronic Acid) to treat specific skin concerns and issues we all face such as ageing, dryness and dull complexions, all while staying well and truly away from hidden nasties.
My three favourite products are:
Oxygen-C Vitamin C Brightening Serum (RRP: $19.95)
- Antioxidant-rich serum delivers concentrated levels of actives to fight dull complexions and visible signs of ageing
- Potent sources of Vitamin C to combat radical UVA/UVB to reduce pigmentation and signs of ageing
Dragon’s Blood Retinol Sleep Serum (RRP: $29.95)
- Complex formula of Retinol, Granactive Retinoid and Hyaluronic Acid work magic while you rest
- Restores thickness and visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Targets pigmentation and evens out skin tone
Advance Superlift Lifting and Firming Complex (RRP:$34.95)
- Restores skin’s firmness and elasticity
- Recharges and brightens tired, dull skin
- Improves the appearance of sagging contours and deeper wrinkles
- Bursts of Hyaluronic Acid target skin folds to expand and volumise
The ranges aim to target specific skin concerns, whether that be prevention or solutions, so you’ll find something effective for every skin type.
TRY: Becoming Bilingual With The Italian Cultural Institute Melbourne
For those longing to experience the buzz of a bustling Venetian piazza or a day under the Tuscan sun, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Melbourne (IIC) – Italian Cultural Institute Melbourne (an official body of the Italian government in Victoria), is challenging people to set a meaningful resolution in 2021: learn the Italian language.
With international travel unlikely in the next 12 months, it is a perfetto time to hone the skills needed to impress amici or Italiani locali once our borders reopen, with many linguistics experts indicating learning Italian at a proficient level can take around 600 hours or 24 weeks to achieve.
Dedicated to the promotion of the country’s language and culture, the IIC offers a diverse range of courses to its equally diverse studenti, including a 92-year-old who is proof that learning never ends and there are always opportunities to expand your skill set.
VISIT: Adina Melbourne Southbank
Already turning heads and making headlines as Australia’s first high-rise hotel to be ‘built out of the sky’*, the Bates Smart-designed Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank – owned and developed by independent investment house Hume Partners and operated by TFE Hotels – promises peace of mind for eco-savvy travellers seeking a city escape in the heart of Melbourne’s ‘other side’, aka Southbank. It makes for the perfect family-friendly staycation this summer.
The hotel is ideally located in a buzzing entertainment and lifestyle precinct, and within walking distance of everything Melbourne is famous for: art, culture, coffee, shopping, food, festivals and sport.
Not forgetting 555ha of green space, including the city’s historic Royal Botanic Gardens, home to lakes, lush lawns and 8,500 plant species, a short stroll from Adina Melbourne Southbank’s door. Incredibly, all of which the hotel helps keep blooming, thanks to its ground-breaking ‘clean and green’ construction technology.
Overlooking the Yarra River, the upscale apartment hotel’s north-facing leisure facilities include a 20m indoor lap pool and gym, blessed with natural light and direct sunlight. Plus, access to a curved terrace, constructed as part of a steel transfer podium between 55 Southbank Boulevard’s original office building and its new CLT extension. A space designed for the perfect wind down – or workout – any time of year, after a day exploring Southbank’s many attractions.
In a neighbourhood catering to every passion or pastime, Adina Melbourne Southbank rubs shoulders with the Southern Hemisphere’s highest public viewing platform (Eureka Skydeck) and biggest casino (Crown Melbourne); some of the city’s finest restaurants (The Atlantic, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Nobu, Rosetta Ristorante and Spice Temple, to name just a few); and coveted Melbourne Arts Precinct, hailed for supporting one of the highest concentrations of arts, cultural and creative organisations anywhere on the planet.
The hotel is also just a 15-minute tram ride from St Kilda Beach or a few minutes’ walk into Melbourne’s CBD, across Southgate Footbridge (Evan Walker Bridge), which links Southbank to Flinders Street Station. Tip: for something different, pull up a seat at Ponyfish Island, a floating café/bar beneath the footbridge, or head off the main strip, to Victoria’s largest independent gin distillery (Patient Wolf Distilling Co) housed in a red brick industrial warehouse on Market Street, where Southbank melds with South Melbourne.
READ: SICILIANO by Joe Vargetto
SICILIANO is a contemporary Sicilian cookbook by acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Joe Vargetto. Known for his expertly prepared Sicilian cuisine in popular restaurants, Mister Bianco and Massi in Melbourne, Joe has put together a collection of recipes that everyone can enjoy preparing in their own homes.
While the recipes are inspired by Joe’s Sicilian heritage, SICILIANO is contemporary and sophisticated in design – taking fine dining restaurant dishes and making them easy for everyone to try in their own home
Joe expresses his authentic take on Sicilian cuisine every day in his own restaurants, where locals and visitors alike come to experience his fine dining cuisine in convivial settings. And now, Joe brings the food to life through delicious, modern interpretations of the recipes in SICILIANO.
The contemporary black ‘leather’ cover of SICILIANO opens to contrasting, bright Sicilian tiles before taking readers on a culinary journey of Joe’s life and a full menu of ideas. From much loved Italian ‘lunchbox’ recipes inspired by Joe’s mother to antipastini, primi to pasta e riso, pesce to carne, and finally dolce.
Each with their own story, the mouth-watering recipes in the book feature the fresh seasonal produce, vibrant colour and distinctive flavours of Sicily. Dishes such as Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Pan Fried Scallops & Fried Grissini; Blood Orange Risotto with Tuna Carpaccio and Poached Quince in Chinotto with Zanzibar Rum Gelato. There is also a pictorial glossary of Sicilian ingredients to help with identifying the produce when shopping.
With more than two decades of experience in the industry, this book has been a labour of love for Joe. His passion for food led him to an apprenticeship in one of Melbourne’s finest restaurants and further training within famed kitchens in Italy before returning to his hometown of Melbourne. Cemented in the city’s restaurant scene, Joe is now passing on his expertise to the public so they can enjoy the beautiful dishes at home.
Beautifully photographed by HiSylvia Photography, the easy to follow recipes, from everyday to entertaining, will ensure that SICILIANO becomes a much used cookbook in kitchens across Australia.
SICILIANO by Joe Vargetto, Melbourne Books, is out now in all good bookstores. RRP $49.95.
