braised fennel with olives & soft polenta

I have a theory that there are two types of possessions. The first group are those things that you only need one of or as many as it takes to do the job. The second group, while they may still be functional, are things that you can never own too many….things that capture your imagination things that you just can live without.  I love how this varies from person to person for some it’s cars, others have their pot plants, I even have a friend with a barbed wire collection…but for me it has always been those two indespensable items: shoes and cookbooks. 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 »

While Sydney is without a doubt my favourite city in the world, sometimes there’s nothing better than leaving it for a weekend in the country. Although my usual getaway is a weekend at Mount View with my folks, it made a very pleasant change to be high-tailing it out of town on Friday evening with my good friend Mel on the M4…. With a full weekend of eating, drinking and being merry ahead of us and a magnificent sunset over the Blue Mountains we were happy girls.

With only a quick pub grub stop at the Mount Victoria Hotel, we were warmly greeted when our convoy turned up the poplar tree lined driveway of Mel’s family’s farm just out of the village of Milthorpe. Although it had been about ten years since I last enjoyed the hospitality at Westbrook, I felt instantly at home as we were greeted by Bruce, Jan and Ellie the corgi…. ah the country life… Read the rest of this entry »

Last Sunday morning I found myself slightly hungover (thanks to a few too many Poire Williams* at the newly opened Aperitif in Kings Cross the night before) in the cookbook section of Borders in Bondi Junction. A dangerous combination that was bound to result in a purchase despite my resolve to put a hold on the expansion of my cookbook collection until I had paid off my car.

A shockingly pink volume caught my eye. I took in that the authors were Jane and Jeremy Strode of Bistrode fame and my mind immediately took me back to the delicious meal that I had shared in their fabulous little restaurant a few Saturdays ago. Memories of their delectable maple syrup tart and the creamiest pate filled my head only to be replaced by that unforgettable pigs ear and black pudding salad. And I realised that if these people could make pigs ears an object of my culinary lust, then I just had to explore their book. Sold. Read the rest of this entry »

Bistro Moncur is a timeless classic. Like the perfect little black dress or an Armani suit, it can be relied on to instantly make you feel both totally comfortable and effortlessly elegant.  It’s the type of place that everyone should have at least one of in their restaurant repertoire. Stylish enough for a special night out, while at the same time, casual enough for a spur of the moment steak frites dinner, it is genuinely an all rounder.

Stepping through the heavy wooden door that links the restaurant with the front bar of the Woollahra hotel, I felt a totally unexpected sense of deja-vu. It had been almost ten years since my last Moncur meal but the minute I entered the subtly lit dining room I was transported back to my last visit.  Everything was exactly as I remembered. The strikingly modern black and white Matisse like mural that dominates one side of the restaurant, the white tableclothed tables with classic wooden chairs, and the surprisingly hushed tones of the full hard wood floored dining room, were all picture perfect. Read the rest of this entry »

New years eve and I have never had a good relationship. Last year for the first time ever I decided to spend it in Sydney and somehow managed to reach an all-time low (although to be truthful there was one glimmer of hope….I did have my first pie floater from the institution that is Harry’s Cafe de Wheels on my lonely walk home from the city) .

So this year when I realised that I would probably be in Sydney again you could say that I was a little apprehensive. That was until my dear friend Mands came up with a brilliant idea: a really nice dinner at one of Sydney’s many fabulous restaurants. Then, regardless of how the rest of the night panned out, there would be good friends sharing good food and good wine. Perfect. Read the rest of this entry »