Spring is such a wonderful time of year with so many beautiful fruits and vegetables in season to awaken our palettes and brighten our cooking after the dreariness of winter. Writing today, on this gloriously sunny, warm Melbourne September day, one feels alive and vibrant, just like this wonderful new season's harvest. So off you [...]
On the recommendation of some recent cooking school clients, we were looking forward to going to this lovely restaurant for dinner. Neville had said it was in the Realis et Châteaux group but did not mention it had a Michelin star. He did say it was just a short walk from the Canal de Bourgogne, [...]
The amuse-bouche is the French word for appetiser. In Australia we tend to call these little pre-meal delicacies ‘hors d’oeuvres’, and to the Italians they are antipasto. In France in the 15th century, hors d’oeuvres was used as an architectural term that referred to an outbuilding, the 'hors d’oeuvre', or 'outside the work'. By the [...]
I use a couple of recipes for this great dish; this one based on Anne Willan’s recipe, from La Varenne Cooking School in Paris and Burgundy, is made without the potato, although other recipes of hers do add potatoes; and the other recipe in my collection is based on Jacques Pepin’s, with potato and gratinéed. [...]
Servings: 8 - 10 This Provençal dish known as Brandade De Morue is a whipped salt cod gratin; it is a great example of how to elevate modest ingredients like salt cod and potatoes, by whipping them with milk, olive oil and garlic until luxuriously silky. This dish is usually served as an hors d’oeuvre [...]
There are a few variations on this classic salt cod dish from the south of France. Basically, it is a purée of salt cod, olive oil, milk, garlic and sometimes potato and cream. Some cooks omit the garlic, I like it included. The Basques like it with peppers, tomatoes and garlic, the Bretons prefer it [...]
Margaret’s ‘Inverlaul’ tomato relish This is our favourite tomato relish. A dear, old friend, Margaret Benjamin made this for her family for years. Now her family have to make it for themselves, and they continue to love it. The recipe came from Margaret’s mother who lived on the family property, “Inverlaul”, in central Victoria, Australia. [...]
Yesterday, at Kureelpa, it was 38°C, with high humidity, until about 8.30pm, when a cool wind blew and the temperature fell. We had dinner guests and so I had spent the day in the very hot kitchen rather than the pool. I had planned my menu without factoring in the heat! One of the desserts [...]
Serves 4 - 6 Clafoutis is a rustic, country farm house, ‘batter style’, dessert, hailing from the Limousin region of France and is traditionally made with cherries. The original recipe calls for whole cherries with the pits in them, as the pits impart an almondy flavour; however, I always pit mine for more enjoyable eating. [...]
Christmas is a lovely festive time of the year. Soon we will all be making our Christmas cakes and decorating the house ready for the family day. Hopefully, my recipe here will inspire you get started now! Below, I have included a few variations on the sizes you can make with this quantity. My cake [...]
