"Albert & Co- a third awakening"

Last night I was privileged to be able to gain a sneak preview of the new Albert & Co. I have followed with interest the growth of this local establishment over many years and which has maintained not only my caffeine levels but also my insatiable need to find the best that Gippsland has to offer. We here right on my own back yard may just be one of the leaders in the field.

Savoury Slice – a snack a nibble or just comfort food in-front of the TV!

Still not travelling far so having finished with the football finals (all codes) and Bathurst, I am now in the midst of the Rugby League World Cup, F1 and Moto-GP racing with the Spring Racing Carnival thrown in by “She who must be obeyed”.  I found a few sheets of puff pastry in the freezer, (they HAD to be used), and some left overs in the fridge.  Aha I thought, what can I come up with, just as something to nibble on in front of the TV!  Here we go I will call them Savoury Slices or Savoury Squares depending on your cut, only problem was, they didn’t last long - food to savour!  😋

Beef Hotpot with Mushrooms and Port

Of late I have been more than a bit limited with travelling and continuing my quest for good eating    (and drinking) in and around Gippsland. So much to my wife's horror I have taken to the kitchen.

Here is a sample of my gastronomic experimentation. Normal stews can be boring so I added a few extras. Much to my delight, it tasted great (well I think so), and Joy admitted to enjoying it too. This is simple tasty good eating, cooked in a slow cooker so the meat comes out really tender.

Go on try it, I hope you enjoy.......

John's Pumpkin Soup with Garlic

Many who know me would say that I have food on my mind most of the time. This is possibly true and whilst I do enjoy going out and reviewing various eating houses, I also enjoy dabbling in the kitchen, much to my wife's irritation when I make a mess, (most of the time!), but thankfully to her enjoyment when my offerings turn out OK, and she has been relived of the cooking duties. Since recovering from surgery, I seem to be spending more time in the kitchen, this could be good or not so good from the boss's aspect!

I tried a pumpkin soup yesterday and had the nod of approval today so I thought I would share it, and if all goes well, some more of  my favourites to come.  So here goes......

Top Take-Aways...and Eat Ins

Take Away or Eat In – the choice is yours.

There is something about a take away meal, and I have many happy memories of consuming plenty of them in some very interesting places, (that's another story!). One of my favourite's is sitting up on Jemmey's Point Look Out overlooking Lakes Entrance itself on a summers evening with a good old fish and chips. I am sure you have your own favourite, but try some of these, I am sure you will enjoy. I have purposely left pizzas out as these will feature in there own category later.

Again then and in no particular order as usual:-

Do you have any Wartime memorabilia – and do you know how to preserve it?

As I am in the process of writing my father’s wartime history, this caught my eye and may be of interest to others.

Do you have wartime arte-facts at home? Do you know their significance or how to care for them?  Learn from Australia's top preservation experts about how to keep your family's wartime heritage items safe in your home for future generations to enjoy, and bring your objects along for personalised advice. The Department of Premier and Cabinet - Veterans Branch and the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation are delivering a series of free workshops for the public across Victoria. The workshops will bring Australia's leading experts in preservation for a two-day line-up of free workshops and information sessions and in Morwell and Bairnsdale THIS WEEKEND

Gippsland Cafes - my top 5 so far.

Cafes serving Light Meals, and Coffee  – here are my top five as reviewed

 

Back on my favourite subject, here we have venues specialising in providing that quick snack, a light lunch, coffee and cake (they have to go together!), or just darned good coffee. All are owner operated with a passion for their craft, providing varied tastes from in the main, local producers.  Their creative menu items are interspersed with old favourites and cater for all tastes. They are worthy of your patronage, all these are foodie haunts of mine which I really do enjoy, I hope you do too.         As always in no particular order:-

Hospital Humour – from personal experience

Some of you may be wondering why I have not been out and about recently continuing my food reviews. Unfortunately I had to undergo major spinal surgery to relieve pressure on my spinal cord. Thankfully I am recovering although slowly and with very limited mobility for a while. In the meantime, I am re-visiting my reviews and grouping them into top 5 choices taken from my secret marking system!  So while mentioning hospitals and just for fun, here are a few humorous aspects of my time there.

Having spent a little over nine weeks in hospital, I am now enjoying some aspects of simple life previously taken for granted. To say I enjoyed my stay would be an over-statement, but it’s the little things that make the difference making it easier to accept, especially from hospital staff for whom I have the highest regard.

Aussie Pub Grub - my top five reviewed so far

The ‘Great Aussie Pub’ meal is an institution, the bar meal, the counter meal, the lounge, the bistro, call it what you will, and eat it where you like, meals in pubs have changed, and in the most part for the better.

There is some truly great food served in pubs these days.  So, you don’t have full service, and mostly have to order at a counter or at the bar. The décor might not be fancy, and the seating maybe basic, but if you want some good honest food at reasonable prices, and in most cases a good sized serve, then here are my top five so far reviewed and in no particular order:-

My top five choices.....for a meal out

Having been unable to continue with my eating quest around Gippsland for a number of months, and still being somewhat restricted with mobility, I thought I would choose my favourite places to eat, and drink, from those I have reviewed over the last couple of years. 

While attempting to provide a positive outlook in all reviews published, and little does anyone know that I have a secret scorecard, (which will remain secret I might add). When I eat out only those who score over 50% make it to a published review. I will let slip that there are nine scoring categories, importance weighted and making up a top score of 100. It is difficult to fairly score a coffee lounge against a full on restaurant, but that system seems to work well so far. So here goes, to start with the first instalment….