the detoxing gal’s beverage of  choice

OK. So I know that the idea of doing some sort of detox or cleanse after the excesses of the silly season, Christmas and New Years isn’t exactly original. But just because something is cliché doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good idea. There’s usually a very good reason why a movement is adopted by the masses. And really when you get down to it, sometime a girl just needs to give her liver a rest. Read the rest of this entry »

ready for a sunday lunch
table setting & ambiance by missy helgs

I’ve never really been into the concept of having a best friend, or ‘bestie’ as my mad no-so-little brother likes to call them (he also calls his mates who live on the farm next to his ‘nexties’… but that’s a whole other story).  It’s not like I believe in quantity over quality when it comes to friendships more that I’d rather just enjoy them instead of wasting time comparing my nearest and dearest. But if you were to force me to name my best mate, then it would probably have to be my favourite Melbourne resident, the lovely Missy Helgs. Read the rest of this entry »

Ok so it’s not secret that I’m a big spice fan and love dabbling with them, but my friends, I do have a confession to make. Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t grind my own spices. Shocking that someone like me who has read countless times just how flavourful and amazing freshly ground spices can be has never bothered to actually try it out for herself…. I know…I know…Herbie would not be proud. Read the rest of this entry »

broad beans: fully clothed

Since spring has sprung and broad beans (or fava beans for you Northern Hemisphere types) have been hanging out on the shelves of my veggie shop along with their good mates asparagus and artichoke, I’ve been trying to figure out just what it is about these wide beans that makes them so damn attractive. While regular string beans can rally together to a lovely little salad, and the almost paisley patterned borlotti win the prize for the best looking bean, canellini have to be up there for versatility and in their canned form, convenience. But there’s something about broad beans that gets me more excited than their cousins. Read the rest of this entry »

morh fish’s perfect hangover cure 

Today I’ve been living, or actually more like just ‘existing’ in a world of hurt. Now before you start sending sympathetic thoughts, I guess I need to come clean. You see gentle readers, it was all self induced, the result of some serious over indulgence last night. Yep. The granddaddy of all hangovers. Read the rest of this entry »

lamb & eggplant curry

The last time anyone can remember my dear old Dad coming to the big smoke was back in 2004 to pick me up from the airport after my winemaking trip to France. As you can imagine, it took a bit of convincing to talk him into a city visit. But persistence prevailed and on Saturday night I found myself standing on the platform at central station to greet the Canberra XPT. With fish and chips on our minds we headed to arguably the best fish café in Sydney: Fish Face in Darlinghurst. Read the rest of this entry »

rosemary & marmalade glazed ham  

One of the things that I love about life is that no matter how bad things get, there are always little surprises that keep you going and help restore your faith. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been constantly amazed and uplifted by the kindness and thoughtfulness of everyone who has surrounded my family at this very sad time. Read the rest of this entry »

turducken with cranberry & ginger sauce 

Casually drop the word Turducken into conversation and I can guarantee that the average person will respond by looking at you in a quizzical manner and saying ‘a tur-what?’ I remember asking the exact same question on my first encounter with the tri-bird concept. It was Autumn in Northern California and I was working for a rather large Sonoma county winery. One lunchtime we were sitting around chatting and somehow the conversation turned to all things turkey. At first I was certain that my colleagues were having a lend of me. Surely it couldn’t be true. Stuffing a chicken inside a duck and then the duck inside a turkey? Nooo way. Many more minutes of lunchtime banter later and the revelation that you need to debone the birds first and I began to believe in the possibility. But to be honest, really, the whole thing didn’t exactly ingnite my imagination and I went back to work that afternoon letting the whole Turducken thing fall to the back of my mind as I focused on barrels and wine. Read the rest of this entry »