little chocolate tarts 

Mention the name Jamie Oliver at a dinner party and I can guarantee pretty much everyone will have an opinion. Love him or hate him, he really is one celebrity chef that gets under people’s skin. Recently I was at such a dinner and while most of the other cookbook junkies like myself, admitted to owning at least one Jamie book and being a fan of his recipes, the not-so-into-cooking contingent were surprising in their response. Read the rest of this entry »

asparagus with poached egg and pancetta 

The humble egg is a pretty amazing food. Not only are they the most complete source of protein, containing all the essential amino acids that our bodies need. They are the cornerstone for many different dishes. Imagine a kitchen without eggs and you would be picturing a very sad place. Read the rest of this entry »

lamb curry

Yesterday marked a massive milestone for me. It was the anniversary of moving into my apartment. This meant that for a whole twelve months I have actually been living in the same house with the same job. Now I know that for most people this isn’t a major feat but when you have been leading the itinerant life that I have over the past few years, staying put for a year and still loving life is something to celebrate.

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lambshank pies

The great Aussie meat pie - you’ve gotta love it. Apart from pavlova and vegemite, it’s pretty much the only thing that comes close as our national dish. And while I don’t really agree with the concept of trying to sum up the cuisine of a nation in one particular meal, particularly a nation as multicultural as this one, I must confess that I do have a rather strong attachment to the humble pie. Read the rest of this entry »

ginger brulee tartlets

Ahh serendipity….such a delicious word and equally such a delicious phenomenon to encounter. A fortuitous coincidence - when things just work out for the best - a stroke of good luck. Something that we could all do with a little more of in our lives.

A few weeks ago on my birthday, I was lucky enough to have a bit of serendipity swing my way in the form of what else but a blow torch. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

wholemeal sourdough toast with persian feta, white anchovies, spiced almonds & a continental parsley salad.

Can you imagine what the world was like before there was toast?? It doesn’t bear thinking about does it… No fruit loaf slathered in meltingly rich butter, no vegemite on toast (the ultimate comfort food), no toasty crumpets with honey drizzling though the holes, no oozy cheese on toast, no pop tarts…. OK OK, I am sure the absence of pop tarts isn’t going to break any hearts….not here in Oz at least…. But without toast your classic big breakfast would just be eggs with stuff and baked beans would be lost without their pillowy support… long live toast, I say. Read the rest of this entry »

fig & pecan hot cross buns 

One of the few things I miss about winemaking is the opportunity to play with yeast. There is something deeply rewarding about taking a powdery dried dormant yeast culture and coaxing it to life so that it can go on to perform the almost alchemy-like act of turning grape juice into wine.  It still amazes me that all it takes to bring about their renaissance is a gentle soak in some warm water (35 - 40oC)…not too hot …not too cold….sound familiar  Goldilocks???? Then you gradually add some food….sugary grape juice…yum…and before you know it you have a rip roaring fermentation on your hands… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m still amazed by the new car phenomenon…you know….when you buy a car and all of a sudden you go from hardly noticing that Volkswagons exist to seeing them everywhere…. but the crazy thing is that I’m finding that this phenomenon extends beyond cars…. even food seems to be susceptible….

Last week I was lucky enough to dine at one of my favourite Indian restaurants: Nilgiri’s in Crows Nest. Dining at Nilgiri’s is always a treat in itself but on this occasion there was the added bonus of two guest speakers: the gorgeous master brewer Chuck Hahn and the passionate spice man himself Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill. Read the rest of this entry »

I quite enjoy taking the dietary foibles of my dinner guests into consideration when planning a menu. Although I only have a few vego friends, I really love the challenge of planning a meal that will satisfy both carnivores and green tongues alike. Recently, however, I took on a challenge that for a while threatened to overwhelm me: dinner for Sam, my pregnant, vegetarian, Jewish friend, her husband, Michael, (whom I since found out doesn’t like black pepper) and my dear friends Colette & Kieran.

Obviously I wasn’t going to be serving any succulent oysters or creamy fresh goats cheese to a pregnant lady. And while I did have a vague recollection of Sam mentioning that she had begun to eat red meat again due to her dangerously low iron levels…. I wasn’t about to risk a juicy lamb cutlet or a spicy merguez sausage. I was pretty sure that we’d shared a few seafood dishes last time we’d been out for Thai but with my limited knowledge of the rules of Jewish people and fish I decided that the best course of action would be to stick to vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »