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...]
Fish Soup with Gruyere Croutons
A return to his roots, Manu Feildel’s third cookbook French for Everyone, is packed with simple, rustic dishes. Honest and easy to prepare, this is food from the kitchen of a French home rather than that of a French restaurant. That's not to say you would turn down any of the dishes if they were served to you by a bistro-aproned waiter, but in juxtaposition to his second book, the techniques and recipes in French for Everyone are approachable enough to prepare at home. With options for … [Read more...]
End of Summer Sandwich & the Union Square Green Market – NYC
I don't do winter well. I'd take sweltering over cold any day -- and the fact that the lowest Sydney winter temps are still significantly higher than the north-east America-land ones I grew up with matters little when I have to get out of bed each morning to an un-heated apartment. Now Sydney has been gracing us with well above average late-autumn temps this year, but even so we are looking straight into three months of cold before things begin to look up again. It's about this time … [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...]
Marinated Goat Cheese
No rants or long stories today, just an "I could totally make this myself" recipe inspired by a stunning jar of marinated goat cheese. The cheese, along with copious cups of tea and a plate of fruit and veggies, eased the pain of a Sunday afternoon brainstorming session one weekend a couple months back. A few weeks later -- when the meeting location moved to my living room for a photo shoot -- I figured it was only fitting I work out a way to replicate the tangy, herb-infused … [Read more...]
Vegan Lemon Custard Cheesecake Bars {GF VG DF SF}
We weren't a family that had sweets on-hand very often. Cereal couldn't have sugar as either of the first two ingredients listed; cookies and ice cream did not make regular appearances; dessert after dinner wasn't really a feature. But when there were sweets, we went all out -- perhaps that's why desserts from my childhood are captured so vividly in my memory. The usual suspects of Pumpkin Pie and cookies through the holiday season. Piping hot triangle-shaped doughnuts on Thanksgiving … [Read more...]
Baked Ricotta Cheesecake with Fig & Strawberry Compote
This story begins and ends with me eating cake for breakfast so, if you get worried along the way, be safe in the knowledge that everything will be ok. On cheesecake and fat If you are going to eat cheesecake just accept that it should be full fat. You can try to mess with it, go low-fat, but honestly ... why bother? It's cheesecake. I'm not going to get into the pro/con argument over fat, there are plenty of people leading that particular charge just fine on their own, but keep in mind … [Read more...]
