Robert Armstrong’s commitment to his land and olive groves, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range (near Crookwell, NSW) has led to ALTO Olives becoming Australia’s most awarded extra virgin olive oil. His agrodolce (bitter-sweet) vinegars are the best Australian vinegars I’ve found too.
Mushroom Bruschetta Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more seasonal Italian specialties! One of the things I loved most about Lucio’s Paddington restaurant was the seasonal bruschetta that always arrived with our aperitivi, a tradition I like to continue at home. In autumn, the crisp air of Italy’s hilly regions is […]
Shish Kebab Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class inspired by Michael Rantissi! Grilling meat on a skewer over coals is one of the most basic forms of cooking. So kebabs, in their many forms, are popular throughout a huge area covering the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, the Caucasus and on […]
Kisir (Turkish Tabouli) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! I’m a fan of traditional recipes but every now and then I prefer to do things my way. And I’ve always made tabouli with far more cracked wheat than any Lebanese cook ever would. Then I realised I […]
Hummus Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I was taught to make hummus by a Cypriot friend’s grandmother and her recipe produces a wonderfully creamy result; she insisted we remove the skins from the chickpeas to make a really smooth hummus. I find it quite therapeutic popping them out of their […]
Steak Sandwich Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Australian cooking class inspired by Matt Moran! A good steak sandwich is an Aussie icon. It makes for a satisfying, and relatively healthy, fast food meal on long road trips and can also be upscaled for a delicious casual dinner. I use homemade mayonnaise, Beerenberg Tomato […]
Kolokithokeftedes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Greek cooking class Inspired by Janni Kyritsis! These fritters (keftedes in Greek) are typically served as part of a mezedes, the array of snacks eaten at the start of a meal or at any time when drinking ouzo. Add some dolmades, spanakopita, Janni Kyritsis’ stuffed red capsicum […]
Deep-fried Zucchini Flowers Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! The best deep-fried zucchini flowers I’ve ever tasted were served at Buon Ricordo Restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Paddington. They weren’t filled, just coated in a very light yeasted batter, deep-fried in olive oil and well salted! […]
Lamb Loin Chops with Garlic Oregano Marinade Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Australian cooking class inspired by Matt Moran! Lamb chops were a fixture on the menu when I was a kid and I’d forgotten how good they are until I noticed them recently at the butchers and thought I’d give them another […]
La Ribollita Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! The famous Tuscan soup, La Ribollita, is a classic example of delicious cucina povera (peasant cooking). The name literally means ‘the reboiled’ as it was created to use up leftover beans and vegetables cooked for Friday, the fast day […]
Axoa d’Espelette (Basque Veal Stew) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! I discovered axoa d’Espelette, a classic Basque dish, when I visited the town of Espelette in southwestern France, famous for its mild dark red chillies drying under the eaves of the whitewashed houses. I brought home […]
