Melbourne Memories

It seems like so long ago now but it was only a couple of weeks ago that my partner and I spent a beautiful long weekend in wintry Melbourne.

There were of course books purchased;

February by Lisa Moore (long listed for the 2010 Man Booker Prize), A Moleskine book journal which I just couldn't resist even though I haven't ever really kept a hand written log of my reading - I would like to begin and No and Me by Delphine De Vigan which has recently been named as a book in the upcoming Richard and Judy Bookclub - not something I knew when I purchased the book.

There was also art viewed. We managed to get to the Tim Burton exhibition at the ACMI at Federation Square which was definitely more something that my partner enjoyed but I could certainly appreciate the talent and imagination that comes from Burton. We also went to the European Masters exhibition at the NGV of which my two favourite paintings were Henri Rousseau's The Avenue in the Park of Saint-Cloud c. 1908 and Monet's Houses on the bank of the River Zean 1871.

There was much food and tea and coffee consumed! The Tea Room at the NGV was visited...

and dinner was eaten at the Jamie Oliver Fifteen restaurant in the city...

and after all that there was still room for cupcakes!

Coveting...

I just read about this one today and am longing for it already!

The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister

The School of Essential Ingredients is not a book I would normally pick up - anything to do with cooking I try to steer away from as it is not exactly my forte! But this book actually made me want to learn to cook - that means it was pretty good!

The setting of the book is a cooking school being run at a local restaurant owned by Lillian. As the book opens we learn about Lillian and what led her to her passion of cooking. We then hear about each of the characters that are attending this particular cooking class in turn - what has led them to the class and what it is they need to get out of it. It is clear that the cooking class is really a front for many other issues and the students learn that food and how we prepare and consume it can represent so much more.

When I started the book I was a little bit afraid that the writing would be too flowery for me and the constant references to food and its impact in people's lives a little too over the top - but this was not the case. I eased into the book and the setting Bauermeister was creating. I even loved the way the book left you wanting just a little bit more at the end - like any good meal!