Feast for the Eyes

Dear Droolers,
Thank you for your comments and concerned emails while I have been away indulging in Victorian and Melbournian cuisine over the last month and have not been fit to blog.
Fear not--I have not drowned in chocolate or suffocated on an over sized mouthful of cake or been hospitalized due to some morbid sugar-related disease. I am well refreshed on good clean country air and a little of the polluted city air as well. Until yesterday I hadn't cooked in three weeks and feel ever so ready to get back into the swing of things again. My mother somewhat babied my husband and I, and I found myself so far from the kitchen, it felt foreign. So yesterday I made a cheesecake. A scrumptious, decadent, sumptuous triple chocolate layered cheesecake--white, milk and dark chocolate topped in chocolate dipped strawberries. I think my gut is still reeling from it. It was wickedly divine. I will be posting it and the recipe as soon as I can...but meanwhile, here are some pictures of a few delights from Melbourne for a good drool or some inspiration for the more creative among you. I know I felt like a kitchen hack looking at these windows in St. Kilda, Victoria.

European cake shops in St. Kilda

Pizza in St Kilda was divine!

Ice Cream and Gelato at Southbank, Melbourne

A little coffee art never goes astray.

European cake shops in St. Kilda

European cake shops in St. Kilda

I know, amazing, isn't it?
It was so hard to choose what to sample. We came home with a chocolate rollade, and it was so decadent it had to be shared amongst us all. Now, excuse me while I go and find recipes for the rest of the window contents. So inspiring.
Now onto another place that I mentioned in a previous post. Churros at Flinder's Street Station. Go there. Go!

I highly recommend the white chocolate and coconut coated churro at the far end...its filled with strawberry jam too.

Hot churros with chocolate dipping sauce

Vienna enjoys crunching on a churro

The chocolate penguins on Phillip Island were pretty impressive too.

Somehow, despite all this decadence and delicious eating, I came home lighter. To my delight I heard reports that in my absence, one of my guinea pigs (aka taste testers) also lost a kg or two in my absence, and my husband didn't have to go to the gym as a result of me being on holidays from the kitchen. Anyone else lose weight while I was away?

More recipes coming soon! Keep licking the spoon!
Louise xo

ps. I will try and respond to all comments received in my absence...although it may take me a week or so to get around to it. Amazing the cleaning that follows a holiday!