Have you ever eaten a pear straight off a tree? It is an experience like no other - although closely related to biting into a peach still warm from the sun while standing at the edge of the orchard where they were grown, or munching on sweet corn only snapped off the stalk hours before hitting the table. In my About profile pic I'm standing in my mum's vineyard under a tree... a pear tree to be exact. Skirting the edges of the grape rows are a few pockets of these trees - remnants of an … [Read more...]
Surprising Stove-top Mac-n-Cheese
Sometimes we all need a mini-break. A chance to juggle one less ball for a change. To take a deep breath - or perhaps two. Even people who sit at home and eat bon-bons and go out to posh lunches and afternoon shopping dates may need to take a break sometimes, you know, for a spa day or some such equally relaxing activity - FYI, if you're one of those people, call me, I'll be happy to help you out. Christina from The Hungry Australian is one of those crazy-busy, always-on-the-go people - … [Read more...]
Perfect Banana Cake with White Choc Passion-Fruit Icing
I think I owe you a cake post. Here I am talking about hotels, and travels, and footy but there has been a distinct lack of cake. Now anyone popping over from October Unprocessed ~ waves ~ hi! ~ is looking at this cake and probably saying 'how is she listed on the #unprocessed posting roll-call and baking stuff like this?'. Easy, it's not for me ... I have been making the cakes for work birthdays lately and, well, there is not quite the desire that I have to eschew sugar and butter and white … [Read more...]
French Toast-ed Grilled Cheese
It's French Toast on the outside and Grilled Cheese on the inside, kind of like the old Wheel of Fortune before and after puzzles...but even better, instead of some random living room suite, the prize is tasty and delicious, and not covered in brown corduroy. The trick to good Grilled Cheese, and French Toast for that matter, is heat control. Even if [especially if?] it is 2am and you are just getting home and desperate for savoury gooey-ness. You just cannot rush even browning and … [Read more...]
Yogurt Cheese
Yes this is a little bit random, but I've got to tell you about this stuff before I start posting recipes that use it - and besides, it's good. Yogurt Cheese is really, in the simplest terms, yogurt from which the liquid has been removed. It subsequently becomes really thick and spreadable and can stand in for sour cream or even cream cheese. The 'cheese' part of the name describes the texture of the finished product more than the process of making it. The best thing to start with is a good … [Read more...]
Late night snack
So even without a drink between the two of us, after a night out for a mate's 30th, all we wanted was pizza [do you see a recurring theme yet...no, just wait, it will happen again soon I'm sure]. 2 issues with that - 1: not allowed real pizza [white flour and cows cheese amongst other things] - and more importantly 2: you try getting decent pizza in Sydney after 11pm. I love a good quick slap-up - even if it meant making polite conversation with the slightly creepy late night register guy at … [Read more...]
