Remember, remember, remember…legwarmers?

Friday 30 April 2010, 10:57 AM
By The Team | Posted in Things

Fame the Musical is now playing at the Regent Theatre. This means two things: we all want to learn how to fly; and we’re all looking at legwarmers and thinking, hmm…could I? Could I really get away with wearing them now, in 2010?

Well, we’ve done a bit of the legwork (so to speak) for you. We’ve asked around and we’ve gone exploring. And this is what we found.

Legwarmers are in most of the big department stores, a sure sign they’ve been on edgy legs for quite some time now. Plus, legging tights and ballet slippers have been staple fashion items for a while –so going all the way with dancewear is no longer much of a stretch. And fuzzy ankle coverings do make sense at this end of April.

A polite legwarmer inquiry elicited some amusement from a helpful Target salesperson. ‘I couldn’t believe it when they came in,’ she said, pointing at the two purple varieties on offer (one striped, one with glitter). ‘Haven’t seen those for years.’  Stocks were low, so someone has been buying them!

At Bloch, that magnificent dancewear store, the guy in front of me asked for a ‘level six unitard’ and they knew exactly what he meant. Legwarmers are part of the terrain here, no raised eyebrows in sight. You’ll find lots of pastel options, plus black white and grey and some lovely soft burgundy thigh-high numbers.

You can choose from two styles, with or without stirrup. Apparently someone cleaned out their stocks of black and hot pink glitter legwarmers – respect! – but the salesperson assured me they’re getting more in. And yes, the guy got his unitard and seemed quite satisfied with it. So good work all round, Bloch.

Finally, if you have your heart set on a particular colour or texture, you could always knit your own. Morris and Sons has a wonderful array of wools, cottons and acrylic blends to choose from, in so many colours you might need to take a paper bag to prevent selection-anxiety hyperventilation.

New or nervous knitters are welcome, just go up and ask your question. Advice will be dispensed with kindness and wisdom – even when the question is about legwarmers. (We checked.)

Clearly, Fame the Musical has revived more than memories in our enthusiastic little city. Once you’re wearing your comfy and cosy fashion numbers, you’ll wonder why you ever stopped. Legwarmers proudly on, your next step is surely to move it and shake it down to the Regent Theatre for one of the world’s best-loved musicals of all time.  

Fame the Musical finishes Sunday 13 June.

Culture Vulture – Part two

Friday 26 March 2010, 10:02 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events

It is commonly known that Melbourne is the biggest Greek city in the world outside of Athens, but did you also know that the Antipodes Festival is one of the largest Greek celebrations outside of Greece?

Antipodes Festival
27 – 28 March

This weekend the Greeks will take over the city (minus the Trojan horse) and around 100,000 people will enjoy a ‘glendi’ (party in Greek).

Dance to Greek folk, blues or techno. Direct from Greece, the Apodimi Compania will be playing their special form of the Greek urban blues, Rebetiki. Aggelos Dionysiou, the Barry Manilow of Greek crooners with have the yayas flinging off their headscarves in excitement. While Melbourne’s own DJ Dean Paps, as well as international turntablist, DJ Bestseller will take over the night with his techno/house beats.

If you have any energy left, compete in the ‘Zorba till you drop’ to win a flight to Greece. For the more foodie-minded, see how many souvlakis you can consume in seven minutes or if you have a sweet tooth, gorge yourself on baklava to win some great prizes.
Register here to get involved.

For the less competitive, there will be lots of food stalls on offer to sample traditional Greek treats, carnival rides and children’s entertainment to keep the kids amused.

In the meantime, try this authentic and easy recipe in preparations for this weekend’s celebration of all things Greek.

Irini’s tzatziki dip

Ingredients
1kg Greek yoghurt
1 large cucumber or four small Lebanese cucumbers
3 cloves of garlic (can have more or less depending on your garlic tolerance)
Virgin olive oil, salt, white pepper (no measurement here, just ‘to taste’)
One kalamata olive

Preparation
1. Strain yoghurt in a muslin cloth overnight (minimum four hours).
2. Peel and grate cucumber (on thicker side of grater). Strain cucumber but keep the juice, you may need it later.
3. Crush garlic and then combine all ingredients (yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, oil, salt and white pepper). If dip seems too thick, pour in a little of the cucumber juice. If it’s still a little bland just add oil and don’t be stingy. Keep tasting and adding and mixing until satisfied.

Presentation tip: Once you’ve transferred the dip in a bowl, place a kalamata olive in the centre of the dip to really impress your friends.

Culture Vulture

Friday 19 March 2010, 4:02 PM
By The Team | Posted in Events

Did you know that there are over 140 cultures represented in our little melting pot of a city alone? With Harmony Day coming up this Sunday 21 March, there are lots of way to celebrate our cultural diversity over the next couple of weeks. Keep your eye on this blog for more cultural updates but first up is the Thai Food and Culture Festival. It’s the quickest way to travel without stepping on a plane!

Thai Food and Culture Festival
Sunday 21 March

This is a one day crash course in Thai culture! Learn everything that makes this country so unique: perfect your roundhouse at Muay Thai (kick-boxing), surrender to the rigors of Thai massage and admire the elegance and glamour of Thai dancing.

The wonderful piquant smells of Thai cooking will assail your senses as you wander around Fed Square. At the River Terrace, Melbourne’s best Thai chefs will be serving your favourite dishes which you can sup in the relaxed surrounds of the Singha beer garden.

Here’s a recipe for that must-order item on any Thai menu.

Thai Fish Cakes (Thod Mun Pla)

Ingredients
500 grams white fish meat minced or chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup string beans, sliced finely
3 tbsp. kaffir lime leaves, minced or chopped
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. of red curry paste
3 cups peanut oil for frying

Preparation
1. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Take 2tbps of fish mixture; shape into small patties about 7-8cm in diameter and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
3. Serve with Sriracha chili sauce which you can find at Asian grocers. Serve immediately.