With our love of espresso, pizza, pasta and vino, Australia could be Italy’s 21st region. Italian immigrants were among the first to broaden the Anglo-Celtic Aussie palate and we also have them to thank for one of the world’s best coffee cultures. Now more than ever, it’s easy to get delicious, authentic, great value Italian […]
In the early ‘90s, Cheong Liew, Phillip Searle, Christine Manfield and Tim Pak Poy took the great produce on Adelaide’s doorstep and laid the foundation for the innovative restaurant scene Australia enjoys today. Then all except Cheong moved east to continue the adventure and the local scene dwindled to excellent yum cha, great coffee and […]
I love Malaysian food – earthy curries, flaky roti, chewy noodles, rich coconut milk, great ways with seafood, chicken and beef … and that’s before we even start talking about pork trotters, durian and other things not quite to my taste, but which my husband, Franz, adores! It’s the original multi-cultural cooking, with its blend […]
Some of my best times have been sharing a meal with friends tucked away in a private dining room in one of my favourite restaurants. There’s something special about gathering in a space away from everyone else, you can laugh a little louder, eat and drink with more abandon, and carry on almost as you […]
For me travel is about discovery – I learn a little history and see some amazing scenery – but best of all I get to eat things that are rare or unavailable at home, and occasionally discover something completely new. Here are five of the best things I’ve eaten overseas this year, and where to find […]
I love food – and I love wine. But best of all I love it when the two come together in a marriage that is greater than the sum of its parts … when each lifts the other to new heights. And I love eating in restaurants where the staff know their stuff well enough […]
Top 5 Food Markets Before the days of “super” markets, people all over the world bought their food from local producers gathered together in a collection of dismountable stalls. Some operated daily in dedicated halls, others weekly, often in the town square, place or piazza. In large cities these markets grew into warrens of cobbled […]
I love pasta! It’s one of the few things I love eating out as much as I love cooking at home. And the same rules apply: don’t overcook it (dried pasta should be al dente and fresh should be tender with a little ‘bite’), serve it fresh (never pre-cooked) and keep the sauce simple (3 […]
Remember when you first started dating your partner? Going out of your way to think of special things to do together that would surprise and delight the other? I used to think ‘date night’ was a great idea for couples busy with kids, who needed to set time aside for each other – and so […]
I like a bit of theatre with my food – and it doesn’t get much more theatrical than gueridon, the art of finishing and plating dishes tableside! Crêpes Suzette and steak Diane come immediately to mind, but there are many other possibilities as these restaurants show. I’m pleased to see a bit of a gueridon […]
