Apparently I'm on the local magpie mafia hit list. The first attempt came out of the blue as I was buzzed by a particularly aggressive black and white bird while walking down a path at a local reserve. I took my hair clip out thinking that may have been its target -- but the angry bugger wasn't having it and circled around for another pass. With a feeling the attempts on my life weren't going to stop any time soon I turned to see where the hired-gun had landed and made eye contact -- I now … [Read more...]
Almost Recipes
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
For as much as I've been cooking and photographing food lately it's all been for other people. The mojo to create new things had gone a bit walk-about... but as is the case with life the most simple of things can open the flood gates. If you follow along on Instagram you would have seen the gorgeous delivery of new season asparagus that landed on my doorstep a few weeks back. To say they provided the spark of inspiration I needed would be an understatement. Both RJ and I love … [Read more...]
Strawberry & Blood Orange Frozen Margarita
There I go again, making summery, freezing cold treats in the dead of winter. Ironically this delectable beverage is, well other than the frozen bit, entirely seasonal. You see while strawberries are ripe for the picking (pun entirely intended) in NSW during late spring and early summer, they roll out of tropical Queensland by the tonne all winter long. They are sweeter and juicer and less expensive now, even being shipped a state down, than they are coming from only an hour or two away … [Read more...]
Roasted Rainbow Winter Vegetables
A week or two ago inspiration landed on my front step. It came in the form of a simply gorgeous hamper of winter fruit and veggies from the lovely people at Sydney Markets, and it arrived just in time. You see kitchen motivation at that point had been severely lacking -- I'll blame it on winter although winter isn't fully to blame -- but after a day or two of staring at that box of colour a trickle turned into a flood and before I knew it I had ideas spinning around like little tornados … [Read more...]
Skillet Baked Eggs – Kale, Tomato Beans & Dukkah
By the looks of my posts these days you'd think all we eat is dessert. My Instagram feed however is quite a different story, a bit more of a social media smoke and mirrors filtered within an inch of its life realistic view of what makes it to the table. Working from home and being a big fan of using-leftovers-until-there-is-nothing-left-over can make for some interesting combinations, but the results are (generally) wholesome and filling. Now as much as I tend to just sautee a whole … [Read more...]
Roasted Pear, Parmesan & Spiced Pecan Salad
Another one from the archives, a salad made and shot last September -- after Cape Cod and before our road trip -- at mom's farm. Two weeks amongst row of pears dropping fruit at our feet and grapes staining our fingers purple. Sometimes the words flow and sometimes they don't. Right now they aren't, so instead just some pictures to hopefully brighten your day -- and possibly your dinner. Pictures of medusa-esque pear trees so heavy with fruit they don't know what to do with … [Read more...]
In My Kitchen: March 2014
I managed to only miss one month this time in linking up with Celia for an In My Kitchen post, yet it still seems to be a big one. Here it goes… Kitchen shenanigans A few years back I stopped buying tomatoes in tins. Tins are lined with BPA (bad chemical, google it if you want to know more) and the acid in tomatoes leaches it out worse than most foods. However no tins meant my cooking was limited to smooth sauce rather than lovely, textural crushed tomatoes (yeah, yeah, first world problems … [Read more...]
