Christmas In July
Australia's Christmas is in summer so stories of Santa's sleigh zooming through snowy forests are a faraway fantasy. Many Australians still pine for a white, wintry Christmas though, so the concept of 'Christmas in July' is quite popular. I've put together a warming and festive menu to suit. Make merry and enjoy!
Mother’s Day Menu
Mother’s Day doesn’t have to mean burnt toast in bed and bad soap from school stalls. If you are a mum, you can steer the family towards these menu suggestions, and if you have a mum, please enjoy these suggestions for Mum-friendly dishes and tasty gifts that keep on giving.
Food is Love
Valentine's Day is just one day a year but any day is a good day for romance. I've gathered together some of my favourite seductive, saucy, huggable dishes for delicious wooing and canoodling
Visa Holder Hustles
Everyone is doing it tough in hospo but temporary visa holders have a particularly hard road because they have no access to JobKeeper or JobSeeker, and many of them are restricted in the kind of work they can do. Basically, it sucks. However, some of them (like Nicole from Mangan Yuk) have started micro-businesses to get them through to COVID-normal. If you can, support them!
Father’s Day Menu
Father's Day doesn't have to mean power tools, sixpacks of beer and random golf gifts. I'm much more about the food, so hopefully any fathers in your life are too! Here are some ideas for treating Dad at any time of day: there's breakfast all the way through to a nightcap.
Perfect Cheesecake’s Secret Ingredient
Life goes better with Basque cheesecake, a lockdown #2 love affair. I became obsessed with this cake about five years ago when I ate it in San Sebastian at La Viña pintxos bar. It was perilously wobbly and jiggly, somehow both light and rich, creamy white and custardy within but with a bitter edge from the dark, caramelised perimeter. I mumbled, “It’s a miracle,” and I meant it.
Warming Winter Desserts
Let's make winter sweet! I've gathered together some of my favourite puddings, pies, desserts and cakes for you here. Make them for a special occasion, because you DEFINITELY deserve a treat or as a fun cooking project.
International Hummus Day
Have you got an hour? Ask a Middle Eastern person about their favourite hummus and be ready to listen long and hard! Hummus is an everyday traditional food all the way from Yemen to Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey but there are as many variations as there are eaters! At its simplest, hummus combines chickpeas and tahini, then there's the potential addition of salt, pepper, spices, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and water. Plus, there's the question of texture. Should it be smooth or sturdy? We dig in...
Peter Gunn at IDES Restaurant and the Black Box
In mid-March, not long before Australia went into lockdown, I visited Peter Gunn's IDES restaurant to talk to him about his signature Black Box dessert. This is an incredible dish - mystery giving way to intricate layers of taste, revealed through an act of sunny, sanctioned violence. For me, the Black Box is the thread which allows us to explore other themes. I love what the dessert says about the chef who created it and the restaurant he owns and runs. It's a tale of creativity, persistence, leadership, teamwork and the importance of fun.