little bstilla with orange, fennel & olive salad

While I love the sun as much as the next girl, sometimes there’s nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning to the gentle sound of rain. Dark skies seem to equate to no pressure to be out and about making the most of a beautiful day. Instead they lend an instant license to stay in bed a little longer and plan a day doing one of my favourite things: pottering about in the kitchen. Read the rest of this entry »

an omelette and a glass of wine by elizabeth david

These past few days I have found myself in a very interesting place: a smallish town in Michigan, USA with such a dull food scene that even the locals tell you you’re better off driving half an hour to a neighbouring town if you want to get something half decent to eat for dinner. But while I have been enduring some of the most incredibly uninspiring meals, my food for thought has been coming from one of the great food writers in history: Elizabeth David. Read the rest of this entry »

bbq sardines with charred radicchio currants & pinenuts

When it comes to food from the sea I’m a massive fan. Freshly shucked briny oysters, soft shell crab, chunky tuna streaks, delicate king george whiting, baby octopus… I love it all. But I do have a special fondness for small fish served whole. There’s nothing better than tucking into a bowl of crunchy whitebait with a crisp glass of riesling to get the taste buds going. Read the rest of this entry »

roast chicken w celeriac salad

One of the joys that has resulted from my decision to move back to Sydney has been the chance to rekindle some of my closest uni friendships.  Sure over the years we’ve kept in touch whenever we’ve found ourselves in the same country but a brief catchup every few years just isn’t the same… Read the rest of this entry »

fennel, chilli & pork sausage soup

You’ve got to love soup as a winter mid week meal. It can be inexpensive, quick, warming, and comforting. It usually freezes well and is one of the few things that I’m happy to reheat in the microwave.  Plus, it’s a great way to keep your veg intake up when the weather is too cool for salads. Read the rest of this entry »

warm green lentil, chorizo & cavolo nero salad

Now that winter is drawing nigh, I am finding that my mid week meals when I am dining at home have been undergoing a slight metamorphosis.  Sure the same basic need is there…I rarely have more than 1/2 hour to spend preparing dinner and am looking for something tasty and nutritious without being too heavy. But lately the thought of a cold salad with a glass of crispy riesling has been leaving me, well cold….

My solution, apart from the odd bowl of soup has for the most part been warm salads. Sure there’s still the fundamental elements of leaves or vegies of some sort combined with a punchy dressing and some flavour packed superstar highlight. But the key difference has been that these highlighting ingredients have tended to be cooked and served warm.  Read the rest of this entry »

walnut crumble muffins

When it comes to thinking up creative party themes, my friend Sam is a champion. So it came as no surprise when a few weeks ago an email bounced into my inbox inviting me to a Sunday bagel birthday brunch in Centennial Park.  So what exactly is a bagel birthday brunch??? The simple explanation is it’s a brunch time picnic where the hosts provide the bagels and the guests provide tasty things to go on the bagels….what’s not to love about that… Read the rest of this entry »