things to do with avocado

Say you have spent almost a year in China, with intermittent access to good avocado, and now you are home in Melbourne and eating every avocado dish in the inner north (post on this to come), but maybe this is becoming a bit expensive what with the two soy flat whites and the at least $10 for avo on toast and the inevitable distraction on the ride home where you accidentally end up at Radical Grocery or Savers or something, and you are thinking you should eat more avocado at home.

Here are two things Fi and I did with avocado this week (I was more of a consultant but definitely at least an executive consultant):

Avocado and tomato on toast with dukkah and a little olive oil; avocado and grapefruit with coriander and mint (also on toast) (and I don't even like coriander, which makes me the worst SEAzn ever, but it was delicious in this combination).

Proportions are up to you, though I would not over do it on the grapefruit, the grapefruit is there to add a delicious tartness but not overwhelm the essential avocadoness of this. I recommend only a small amount of olive oil, drizzled via a spoon in order to control the flow and amount. Cut the avocado and grapefruit up into similar sized cubes, and slice the tomato (then slice again, so they are thinner than the avocado pieces but maybe a little longer). No need to put anything on the toast, though you can add a little olive oil if you like.

DELICIOUS.

merry cupcakes, fitzroy

Regular readers of my social media will probably already know that my cupcake heart belongs to Cupcake Central, run by the super awesome Sheryl, who helped my friends bring me cupcakes when I was living in China, who when I hint around vegan things (like Oreos) invents new flavours to accomodate it, and is generally really awesome and inspiring.

But I was in Fitzroy on Saturday, as I so often am, and thought I should give the newly opened all-vegan Merry Cupcakes a go.

Clockwise top left: the beet it (red velvet with beetroot); the wakey wakey (i think - coffee); strawberry fields forever; 'bruce banner' (zucchini and and banana).

I love vegan shops. Love love love them, so I'm automatically always excited. My favourites were the pop culture cupcakes (strawberry fields forever and bruce banner) - the strawberry one had a really fresh strawberry flavour, and dr banner was delicious (things I never thought I'd say). Apparently people often don't get those references, even though they're the best!

The beet it was a bit weirdly nutty, and the wakey wakey was fine but just a generic coffee cupcake. Would return though, 50% is still a pass and there's so many other flavours to sample; plus, service was lovely and friendly and helpful, and I'd like to try their coffee!

You can find their spring menu here. They're currently only just now moving in to gluten free cupcakes with one or two flavours.

Merry Cupcakes
261 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Closed Tuesdays

Get there on the 112 tram. I think there was a step up into the shop, service is at the counter.

brunch at little creatures

Being both originally from WA, when Mez and I discovered that Little Creatures in Fitzroy had a breakfast menu we thought it'd be awesome to drop in.

The only item that could be veganised was the avocado + feta with dukka and spinach on toast, without the feta; I couldn't order the beans because they are cooked with butter.

This was plain and nothing special, and there was actually no dukka on my avocado, but the coffee was nice and the atmosphere in the mostly empty pub was pleasant and the company was, as always, delightful. If I'm in Fitzroy I'd rather dart across to Las Vegan, but it was a very nice morning nearby where I had to be for my next engagement.

Little Creatures Dining Hall
222 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy

Entry has a ramp, lots of lighting, tiny menus, ordering happens at the table. $14 for my meal. Get there on the 112 tram (not accessible).