Jerry’s is just down the road from me and I’m not really sure why I hadn’t got there before now, but today was the day. I remember Jerry’s from when Dave lived on Broadway years ago. Today I walked down to St Kilda and on the way there, Jerry’s was awash with cycles and pink lycra so I kept on walking. On the way back, pink had been replaced with more melbournian tones of grey and black which was much more me. I sat in the window with coffee and OJ as it started to rain.

Totally worth the money, that class. And it has just occurred to me that I can now add temporary pastry chef for Lezzet Turkish Restaurant to my CV.

It is also the home of  Named after Ali ibn Umar al-Shadili, who was a 14th century mystic considered the patron saint of the coffee port of Mocha (in Yemen). Perfect for those who love coffee, the approach to St Ali is part of the pilgrimage. Down a side street with walls are covered with art, St Ali is a warehouse treasure trove. There is a mind-boggling range of coffee beans from all over the work. You can sample the nuances of flavour as you would a wine menu. Being a little overwhelmed and surrounded by hipsters, I stammered out a safe bet order…flat white. 

 

 Good coffee.

St Kilda’s Farmer’s Market

 The Elwood Community market.

I have conquered the Gorm and the Lack who first entered the scene a couple of blogs ago. Ha!

IKEA flat packs have been relationship breakers, tipped fragile people over the edge…but I did it. The pictures are NOT easy to follow and what’s more disconcerting is when you psyche yourself up into readi-ness and then the picture of a spanner taunts you with your spanner-lessness. A trip to Penhalluriack’s, the hardware store that has it all…the name says it all really…spanner procured, bookshelf built. Smug. That’s me. Smuggily smug.

Saturday morning. Sunny. I walked through the leafy Elwood streets to Brighton Road and Lezzet, a turkish restaurant and scene of The Cooking Lesson. Kamal, the Head Chef and owner met me and 4 others and explained that today we were going to be learning the art of baclava, which, he added, was handy as they had run out the night before and we would be making a batch for the restaurant. We made baclava nests and fingers and learnt about the intricacies of filo pastry…every packet has a different personality, it seems. We used a wooden rod and we all had a go and yes, we made an entire tray which he did use for the restaurant. We then made turkish delight, but I agree with Kamal…it’s a 2 person job and really, you need a pretty well equipped kitchen. Turkish Delight is all heating ingredients to the right temperature and pouring and straining and setting. So the advertised glass of wine, take home pack of herbs and spices, recipe book did not materialise and if we wanted a baclava rolling rod, $5 thanks. To use someone else’s clever observation, it was a lesson in, not only cooking, but also in turkish economics.

I made the pilgrimage to IKEA. In Richmond. I had a list and I was sticking to it. It was not the day to be tempted by lamps or yuccas or interesting candle holders. Not for me, the brilliant organise-your-life-products or stylish, but cheap bowls, clocks or picture frames placed just in my vision as I kept to my mission. But I have filed their existence in the compartmentalised space that is my head. Another day..

When this one is completed, it’s a Gorm.

This one is a Lack.

 
They sound like the names of characters in a slightly macabre children’s moralistic tale set in a dark forest and involving goblins. No?
Wish me luck on the assembly…

 To the right, is the city skyline…it really looks much better in person!

To the left is the sea.

I’m thinking…little french table, sitting out in the afternoon sun…glass of rose, olives…

Sunny, sunny Melbourne! Train from Footscray to Flinders. Coffee at Degraves.

Charlie got a bit of screen time and poor old Noodles hadn’t yet made it…until now. Poor old Noodles can’t travel in the car because she gets carsick…so no trips to the beach. But we did do a circuit of the hood this evening. The sky looked quite threatening and we were both concerned at various points of the circuit, but we made it just as some fat drops started to fall.

See how close the city is? No wonder everyone wants to live in West Footscray…so close to the city…

Noodles…just casually westside

 She’s pretty cute.