eating boutique. We host tasting events and markets for food makers, cookbook authors and food fans. We craft seasonal, regional gift and tasting boxes and sell individual items that you can order in the Eat Boutique Shop. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Kate H. Knapp has been cooking since she was stove-high and whisk-strong. She comes from a long line of cooks and bakers, from whom she learned the sweet power of sugar, the thrill of egg whites, the magic of leftovers, and the importance of being fearless in the kitchen. Kate works as the Urbanist Boston City Guide Editor and has recently earned a Masters in Gastronomy. She spends her free time testing recipes, practicing food photography, and reading cookbooks. HerHistory of Laurel Lodge

Laurel Lodge is one of the few physical reminders of Dandenong in the nineteenth century. Built around 1869, it is one of the region's oldest buildings.

Laurel Lodge displays a degree of elegance and sophistication that was not evident in contemporary structures of the town.

Its design appears to have been inspired by Italianate provincial ornamental villas and the 'Chinoiserie' style popular in England and America in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Laurel Lodge derives considerable local and regional significance from its association with its past owners, who were prominent citizens of the district, and have made important public contributions. These include:

Early Dandenong pioneer Mrs Janet Bowman

Colonial architect Robert Huckson

District doctor Henry Ogle Moore

Flamboyant stock and station agent, and auctioneer, Joseph Clarke

Robert Woodcock, Secretary and Engineer of