It's official, this whole need-to-create-things is hereditary. Not only the creativity gene bit but the comfort found in just making stuff. I was at mum's house for a few weeks during our last trip and one day she brought out a lovely, frilly, very colourful apron, "Look! I saw this and had to get it for you. Thought it may be a bit of inspiration... you could make these!" It was a cute apron, and it did give me a few new ideas, but in the midst of packing our already busting suitcases … [Read more...]
Basil & Walnut Pesto
She unconsciously hummed along with the music playing in the background, humm de dum de da. It was from Milan she explained, as a smile triggered by an ancient memory flitted across her face. The heavy wooden chopping board belonged to her mother, the cleaver had been borrowed from my mother and the basil was picked just moments before from her own garden. Ro was chopping up herbs for pesto, again, it was the third time in two weeks. My grandmother still makes her pesto the old way. … [Read more...]
Mushroom & Lentil Burgers – Vegan, Gluten Free
It's fine, don't worry about me, I'll just have salad and bread... It's a phrase known well by many non-meat eaters when faced with a weekend BBQ in Australia. Barbequing here generally consists of steaks, sausages, a bit more steak, another sausage, and maybe some chops. No, we don't generally 'throw another shrimp on the barbie' [and even if we did we'd call them prawns and they'd probably still have the heads on] and while there is always a pile of white bread or rolls and perhaps some … [Read more...]
Rhubarb & Apple Spread. Or it is curd… or perhaps jam. No probably not jam, not really curd either…
One bunch of rhubarb well past its prime languished in my crisper. A few unsightly end of season apples picked up from the organic food store sat forlornly on the bench top. Cooking them down was the only option I could see. I haven't had much luck baking with rhubarb in the past. As a compote it works just fine but baked into anything it just never has any taste to me. Once I used it with with coconut and pear and produced a cake loaf that was so awful even toasting couldn't save … [Read more...]
Guacamole & Pico de Gallo – Afternoon Tea, Mexico-style
Having only just settled into our breathtaking room after roughly 8 hours of travelling we were surprised buy a knock at the door ... "Hola, buenos tardes - guacamole, salsa fresca, corn chips and cerveza for you. Welcome to Capella Pedregal." We stripped off our travelling clothes, grabbed the first swimsuits we could find, slipped into our balcony-plunge-infinity-pool and cracked open the beers. Bliss. Back home I eat avocado every day, however RJ has insisted for years he doesn't … [Read more...]
Paleo Coconut & Berry Cobbler
Things have been a bit more frantic than usual lately... I know, hard to believe, but we are leaving on an extended holiday in just over 24 hours and the amount of general stuff left to do is astronomical. RJ is up to his elbows in spreadsheets, I am knee deep in laundry - about 90% of it clean at least, and 'thank goodness we have one more day' was uttered a minimum of 10 times yesterday. Uh-oh, we no longer have another day - yikes. On the upside, almost all of the flights are booked - … [Read more...]
Eat Immediately Apple Bircher Muesli
I might be a little bit obsessed with apples. As much as I love summer fruit - peaches and mangos and plums oh my - I do mourn the brief break in the apple season. Yes, of course you can get them year round in the big chain grocery stores but when stone fruit is ripe for the picking the apple trees are just starting to bloom again... draw your own conclusions... Apple season just launched again here and this will be the first full season Australian growers are using 'Aussie Apples' … [Read more...]
