When my Brother came to town....

Visiting family is always a great excuse to peruse The Age Good Food Guide, pick a top notch restaurant (so many to choose from) and eventually heading out to reap the spoils.

Starting at the Spice Market at the basement of the Grand Hyatt, we enjoyed 2 for 1 drinks (on a Saturday night(!!!!), business must be slow...) then headed up to the road to 101 Collins Street, some of Melbourne's most highly prized commercial real estate.

Entering through the back dooron Flinders Lane, the building lay sleepy aside from a bustling corner of the ground floor, where The Italian - no, not just one person - but an institution that caters to suits, bruts and possibly everything in between. It almost felt like we were entering an enclave of Melbourne's maffia without even knowing it.

But this story isn't about reviewing this asteemed restaurant but more so, bringing into high regard the humble 'sides'. Yes, that dish that wait staff do the upsell on, the one that used to come on the plate without the diner needing to pay extra for.

It's such a shame that suddenly, the 'three veg' we take for granted as part of an ideal balanced diet is pushed into the realm as something that is considered an added extra to many meals we enjoy around town.

Instead, these dishes are a testament to the season in question as this is when fresh ingredients really do shine.

At The Italian, we enjoyed a side of brussel sprouts a vegetable that you either love or hate. It conjures up tastes and smells that can remind us of 'God love her' our Nana's Sunday roasts where this humble vegetable was possibly a little (meaning a lot) overcooked so that we could effectively suck the contents through our front teeth. Having spent time in the UK, I've experienced this first hand and I'm surprised that I still speak favourable of this mini-cabbage like winter vegetable. On this dining occasion, the sprouts were cooked perfectly and served with smoked ham hock which was an ideal combination...and with the obligatory lemon wedge on the side, it was a dish worth having.

So, in celebrating the reincarnation of this important part of our dining experience, here are a couple of recipes that could very well change your own view of the added extra to your main meal.

Sprouts with mustard & cumin

500g brussel sprouts

3 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cloves garlic

1/ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook sprouts and reserve 2/3 cup of the cooking water.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds.

Cover pan as seeds will jump around. This should take a couple of minutes.

Add cumin, garlic and cayenne in that order. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Add sprouts and cook 2-3 minutes.

Pour in reserved stock and simmer til stock has reduced by half.

Top with toasted, flaked almonds and a wedge of lemon on the side.

Parisian Peas (this is self named, just because...it sounds romantic!)

350g fresh, podded peas or the equivalent frozen peas
100g smoked bacon, diced into 1/2 cm pieces (you can buy it ready cut or use lardons or pancetta cubes)
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
100ml vegetable stock (a cube will do)
250ml double cream
A good knob of butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cover the peas with boiling salted water and add a good knob of butter and a couple of teaspoons of sugar.

Simmer for 5-6 minutes until tender, then drain them in a colander.

Meanwhile in a larger saucepan gently cook the shallots and bacon in a little butter without colouring until soft.

Add the vegetable stock and simmer until it has completely reduced.

Add the double cream, season with freshly ground black pepper and simmer the cream until it has reduced by half.

Add the peas and continue to simmer until the sauce is just coating the peas.

Add the butter and more salt and pepper if necessary.