fritz gelato, prahran market

After our martial arts training on the weekends, a group of us often end up hanging out in the courtyard of Prahran Market. In summer, for me, that means getting the delightful award-winning frozen concoctions from Fritz Gelato. This invariably garners envious attention from my compatriots, usually with a few succumbing and trotting off to get their own.

The gelati here are made with fresh, organic ingredients, and shies away from artificial flavours and colours. As such, the flavours available can vary according to the season. Festive ones also pop up occasionally. At the moment, as we edge towards Christmas, I received their newsletter informing me of a Plum Pudding ice cream. I'm not even a big fan of plum pudding, but the next time I went to get my gelati fix, my curiosity got the better of me and I opted for a scoop of that, along with a scoop of an oldie but goodie, Very Vanilla.

If you like plum pudding, you'll probably like Fritz Gelato's version, as it does taste rather like the real thing with spice, rum, candied fruits, and even a subtle touch of doughiness. The vanilla is a solid choice, one that I've had before, and I like it because it's, well, very vanilla, and in a good way.

alliteration alert: Plum Pudding and Very Vanilla

As much as I appreciate Fritz Gelato's rich and creamy gelati, I'd probably say I like their refreshing fruit gelati even better. I discovered their beautiful Blood Orange earlier this year and was instantly won over by its authentic flavour and silky-smooth texture. Then there's Forest Berry, a luscious new revelation for me. Intense with the natural sweet-tangy taste of berries, this, too, will be making its way to my rotation list. And that deep reddish-purple colour is just sensational.

Blood Orange and Forest Berry sitting in a tree...

There doesn't seem to be many write-ups on Fritz Gelato, but all the ones I've seen, upon a quick search, are greatly positive. Most recently, Mel from Hot or Not rated it as Hot.

Other notes: Fritz Gelato was founded by Andrea Fritz, a Swiss immigrant. The first Australian store opened in South Melbourne in the 1960s, followed by stores in Richmond and St Kilda, though I've only tried the stall at Prahran Market. Take-home tubs are available. They also do organic donuts, which I like very much as well.



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soy milk + blackstrap molasses: a healthy two-ingredient sorbet

This weekend, I thought I'd celebrate minimalism with a simple sorbet. I remember a friend offered me a few things from her pantry last year when she was moving house, and one of the things I took was a jar of organic blackstrap molasses. Ever since then, I have enjoyed blackstrap molasses with soy milk - this is not only delicious but also apparently advocated as a great natural health remedy. I had a feeling the concoction would be just as awesome in a frozen form, so here we are!

a healthy organic vegan sorbet of soy milk & blackstrap molasses

Ingredients (serves 2):
400ml organic soy milk
approx.1 tablespoon organic blackstrap molasses (adjust according to taste)

The first step is easy. Mix the blackstrap molasses into the soy milk until thoroughly dissolved. As blackstrap molasses are highly viscous, you might want to ease the process by dissolving the blackstrap molasses in just a little hot water (not too much) before adding it into the soy milk. Also, if you are not familiar with blackstrap molasses, add a little at a time until the taste is to your liking.

Then, pour it into an ice cream maker if you have one. As I don't have one, I did it the old-fashioned way by pouring it into a container, and then breaking up and blending the ice crystals every hour or so with the help of a spoon.

The sorbet was just as scrumptious as I thought it would be - the blackstrap molasses imparted a rich, distinctive taste, balanced by the gentleness of the soy milk. It did turn out a little icy - I would probably describe it as the love child of a sorbet and a granita - but I think that can be improved with more practice and experimentation, and I definitely recommend experimenting with the wonderful combination that is soy milk and blackstrap molasses!

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yong green food, fitzroy: vegetarian and beyond

Yong Green Food is another place I frequent with Simon. A cozy little vegetarian place with a generous selection of vegan, raw, organic and gluten-free options in the menu, it successfully caters to a niche market while also satisfying those like us whose lifestyles don't revolve around any specific dietary requirements, but are nonetheless appreciative of honest, healthy food anywhere we can get it.

We both decided to choose something that we had never ordered before, and Simon went for the vegan Japanese curry. This is mild and delicate, prompting him to say that it could've packed a stronger flavour, but I personally quite liked the subtlety.

japanese curry

I had the rawsagne, which is raw, organic, vegan and gluten-free. As I bite into the crisp zucchini, it gives way to the creamy cashew cheese, which harbours a pleasing crunch beneath its soft and yielding first impressions. Mushrooms, onions and marinara complete the picture. I don't know if this is something that will appeal to the masses, but I found it interesting in a nice way. In fact, Simon took a fancy to this one and was hovering like a vulture towards the end, waiting to scavenge any leftovers. Yes, I did leave him a scrap.

rawsagne

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men-tsuyu to the rescue

I got home at nearly 10pm tonight and all I wanted was something to eat ASAP, so I fall to my usual staple: organic noodles and vegetables. Normally I'd add some protein as well, but the only eligible candidates were a couple of chicken drumsticks in the freezer, and I couldn't be bothered defrosting them.

Luckily, I have some organic men-tsuyu (Japanese noodle seasoning) which I bought last weekend and haven't tried yet, but I suspected it would make my meagre meal tastier. The main ingredients are listed as soy sauce, dried fish flakes, kelp, sugar and vinegar, and I have to say it lent a lovely savoury touch to my noodles, with a well-balanced hint of sweetness. Hurrah for helpful seasonings!

organic ramen salad

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