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 »

Here in the beautiful city of Sydney, we really are spoilt for choice during the summer months when it comes to outdoor cinema options.  On one hand there’s the old faithful Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park where you get to start the evening with a casual picnic and a glass or two of wine in front of the screen and then when dark falls you have the luxury of watching the movie from the comfort of your own picnic blanket. The main challenge being to keep awake all the way through the movie….

Then there’s the Bondi Openair Cinema in behind the Bondi Pavillion on the beach. While it lacks the beautiful parkland surroundings of the Moonlight Cinema, it does have the benefit of allowing you to grab a feed at one of the many fabulous Bondi restaurants before settling into the plastic chairs for a cinematic experience under the stars.

For those of you who prefer your cinema with an amazing harbour view there’s the Openair Cinema at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.  With a screen that rises out of the water and a backdrop that takes in the city skyline with the harbour bridge and opera house it’s pretty hard to beat.  Their no cancellations for rain policy makes for some pretty weird viewing.  A couple of week ago I experienced my first cinema in the rain.  While the wet weather meant we had to abandon our picnic in the botanical gardens in favour of dinner on the balcony, it did not mean that we missed our movie going experience.  Kitted out with raincoats we rocked up to the openair cinema and joined the ranks and perched ourselves on the slightly damp chairs ensconsed in the ghostly white plastic poncho raincoats provided at the door. Watching Memoirs of a Geisha with the gentle patter of rain falling was not  an experience i’ll forget in a hurry. 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 »