Fun at the Markets

Queen Victoria Market

is Melbourne's premier open-air market. It's a thriving and vital place pulsating with life, food, boots, hats, wine.

I'd love to be able to do my weekly shopping here. We would be eating lots of seafood and I might even give some of those strange meats like quail, duck or rabbit a go.

Some fun pics of our Italian Cooking Class

Authentic Italian Cuisine

What is Authentic Italian Cooking?

I thought typical Italian cuisine consisted of Spaghetti, Lasagne and Pizza. But while we travelled through Italy I realised that the only thing typical in Italian Cuisine was the small cups of coffee. Each region, community and valley in Italy has its own style of cooking. Every where you travel through Italy there are unique ways of making cheese, wine and bread. Everyone has their own distinctive way of making pasta sauces. Pasta is another example of the diversity of Italian recipes with soft egg noodles in the north, hard-boiled spaghetti in the south, with every imaginable variation in size, shape and colour.

We have our own 'Authentic Italian Kitchen' at HideAway Haven. We travelled to Melbourne recently and attended a cookery school. We learnt how to make fresh pasta & gnocchi from scratch and prepared several sauces to accompany the different types of pasta. It was an awesome hands on experience learning how to make the dough, roll and cut to create an array of pasta, both long and filled. Dishes we prepared were gnocchi with homemade pesto, Rotolo with Roast Pumpkin Filling topped with Salsa di Pomodoro and homemade fettuccine with a traditional ragu. We enjoyed a hearty Italian feast on completion with what we created and enjoyed some local wine. It was a fun filled day with lots of laughs.

The gnocchi was melt in your mouth and the fresh pasta we made was so light and tasty. We will never buy store bought pasta again. We have now bought a pasta machine and all our pasta will now be home made.

If you are planning an escape to HideAway Haven try out some of new dinners. Dinners are available only on Saturday nights and by prior booking only.

Awesome sunrises, moon rises and rainbows.

June/July are the months of awesome sunrises, moon rises and rainbows. The ever changing colours of the sky intrigue our guests and the cats!!

Our authentic Italian Kitchen open for business

Bookings for meals from our Italian Kitchen are increasing. Guests love the fact that they can have an elegant dinner in the warm of the common room, enjoy a glass of wine without having to worry about a skipper or taxi to get home. Our menu is expanding and after our trip to Melbourne we will really take off J

Want a Haven to HideAway in?

'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for living up to your name in giving us a Haven to HideAway in for the past 7 days'

We said goodbye to some very special guests this morning, but they have promised to return and bring the rest of their family.

HideAway Haven is the perfect place to relax, renew, rejuvenate, revitalise and revive. So book in for a special stay with scrumptious breakfasts and elegant dinners.

Enjoy the birds and the jacuzzi, the warmth and the comfy beds 'a wonderful experience complimented with exquisite hospitality and care'

Gluten and Lactose Intolerant??

Want to stay in a top class luxury accommodation where they serve gourmet breakfasts every morning? But think you can't because you have special dietary requirements? Want to sit on a balcony and have your breakfast while the birds sing and play below? But think it's too hard? Then book in at HideAway Haven where no dietary requirement is too difficult to deal with. This week I have made Atholl Brose, Pear Crumble, (oats, maple syrup and crushed hazelnuts) served with soy yogurt and cinnamon, Cinnamon, Pear and Date Porridge, Orange Parfait with a nut and oat crumble and tomorrow I am making Scrambled Eggs in Tortilla Flowers. Its been a special week for very special guests.

How do you book your special stay? www.hideaway-haven.com.au While you are there sign up for our newsletter!!