I’m not big on breakfast. Don’t get me wrong – I’m big on breakfast foods. Like a lot of people, I could eat pancakes and bacon at any time of the day (and often have). Breakfast for dinner is one of my favourite “I-can-do-this-because-I’m-a-grown-up” perks, and I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve…
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This is embarrassing to admit but I’ve never been able to master the perfect risotto. I don’t know if my stock/broth to rice ratio was way off, tipped in the favour of stock, if I stirred too much, not enough… I follow the recipe exactly, recipes written by the Nigellas and Jamies of the world…
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I will state this baldly: when I cooked this recipe I was absolutely rancid with PMS. You know how when you feel bossed around by your hormones to the point where there is a part of yourself that exists outside your body watching all the insane things you say and do and says, ‘Why? Why…
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My best friend Fiona and I have a predisposition to drinking Soco Amaretto Limes when we are together, thanks to a song of the same name that we were obsessed with when we were 18. It’s a mixture of liquors we don’t usually drink: Southern Comfort and Amaretto. It’s served on the rocks with a…
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I absolutely love soup. It’s the ultimate comfort food. It’s nourishing and satisfying. It takes on various forms and can be honed by its creator to suit the needs and desires of those who consume it (meaty, salty, garlicky, zesty… the list goes on). It can be light, it can be hearty, it can be…
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Degustations, once seen as a complete luxury, are fast becoming a staple in many menus, and are seen as something accessible for diners with time to spare. And just what are degustations? They usually consist of eight or more small courses, designed to give you an appreciation for the Chef’s signature dishes and the…
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I’m going to admit it: when Nestle released Nespresso machines a few years ago, I thought they were going to be a fad. They seemed convenient, but surely people would put away their pods in return for the ritual of their own espresso machine, right? Or return to the even less quick fix of instant?…
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Last fortnight I wrote about being bewitched by an intoxicating champagne at Ananas Bar & Brasserie. After all, who isn’t swept away by a Gatsbyesque fishbowl of French champagne? Coco Chanel definitely was. She once cheekily remarked, ‘I drink champagne on two occasions. When I’m in love, and when I’m not.’ But unlike the matriarch of the…
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One of my favourite things to do is to throw a dinner party. Once or twice a fortnight I’ll invite up to half a dozen of my friends around and cook up a couple of different things (I can’t seem to only ever cook one thing – I always get carried away) and uncork several…
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I’ve recently been looking into the ways food can provide energy. My unfortunate reality is that the foods I absolutely adore often leave me feeling bloated and sleepy. (I completely understand and love the Spanish idea of a siesta after lunch.) It often seems like a good idea to have a delicious steak sandwich with…
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The French are renown for many wonderful things – Roquefort, champagne, Giselle, Olivier Martinez… I also have a theory that anything sounds better in French. Case in point: ‘voulez vous coucher avec moi’ sounds much more seductive and thrilling than the somewhat needy ‘will you sleep with me?’ Just like ‘c’est la vie’ sounds…
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I am a big fan of meals that have more than one course. It lends a sense of occasion to weeknight dinners and makes the host/cook of dinner parties seem very impressive (especially if they sigh happily after taking the first bite – it’s a fabulous ego boost). The problem I encounter when preparing two…
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Easter-time. Chocolate, Cadbury Creme Eggs (they deserve to stand alone). Hot Cross Buns. Those are the three most important things about the day, right? Even if you have other priorities, chances are that a hot buttered Hot Cross Bun is definitely an indulgence you have one or twenty times over Easter. I thought it would…
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Perhaps thanks to the popularity of televisions shows like My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef, and the rising profile of chefs into celebrities, many Australians are now identifying themselves as foodies. The exposure to cooking shows and iconic chefs has made high-end dining no longer daunting, and words like congee, carpaccio, and chantilly have entered…
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