The International Wine and Food Society, Melbourne Branch, recently hosted a Masterclass in risotto cooking, presented by Beverly Sutherland Smith. The first dish was this ‘basic risotto’ as taught at the Swiss Hotel School in Lausanne in Switzerland’. The method of cookery is quite liberating as it requires very little stirring and, consequently, is very easy [...]
My food philosophy is to eat local food in season. The beginning of a new season is always exciting for those cooks who cook with seasonal produce; it allows enjoying a fresh new range of fruits, vegetables, meats and fish when they are at their best, at their most flavoursome and full of vitamins. Each [...]
As most of you will know, I am a collector of plates and kitchen equipment! It will therefore come as no surprise that on our recent visit to Lyon,we headed for the famous Les Puces, the very large, famous antique, ‘flea’, market on the outskirts of Lyon, rated as one of the biggest and best [...]
Does anyone have grapes climbing and growing over the trellis on their back terrace? If you do, then this machine is for you. And what is this contraption you may well ask? This contraption makes delicious, natural, pale green coloured grape juice. All you do is put the fresh grapes into the container, they are [...]
Autumn is chestnut time and they are now appearing in the fruit markets. Chestnuts, unlike other nuts and seeds, are relatively low in calories, carry less fat, but are rich sources of minerals, vitamins and phyto-nutrients that benefit your health. Chestnuts always remind of another old favourite sung by Nat ‘King’ Cole, Christmas song, 'Chestnuts [...]
I love the South Melbourne Market; it is where I shop two or three times a week for my cooking classes. The produce is always fresh and in season and the market focuses on Australian suppliers and is conscious of the value of food sustainability. I am frequently asked who are my preferred suppliers and [...]
Last night Michael and I went to cheese heaven! It was the annual Calendar Cheese ‘Around the World’ Christmas Showcase, where they have all their cheeses on display and available for tasting of course!! Plus accompanied by a lovely Champagne, of course! It is fabulous evening for the trade who select and order their Christmas [...]
Serves 6 - 8 I love to serve this luscious tart for an easy, casual lunch accompanied by a crisp green salad. Perfect in Autumn when the mushrooms are at their best. Parmesan pastry 600g plain flour 1 cup fine parmesan cheese 480g butter, roughly chopped 4 large eggs Mushroom filling 20g shitake mushrooms, sliced [...]
Farmers’ markets are so colourful and such fun. They are now an integral part of many people’s lives as they provide fresh, local farm produce. In Australia there are now over a hundred farmers’ markets, with the first officially trading in 1999. To locate the farmer’s market in your area, there is the Australian Framers’ [...]
Whilst at Kureelpa, over January, my friend Margaret McCaughey, gave me a lovely book called ‘The Shed: the cookbook’, written by Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin, and is all about the foraging, growing and cooking of local and seasonal food, right in the heart of London, at their restaurant in Notting Hill. It is a [...]
