I always used to smirk at those "10 things to do with leftover wine" lists, because who ever has leftover wine? But I somehow became that person who rarely drinks more than one glass in a go, and all of a sudden if a bottle of wine was opened there was almost always a couple of glasses left over. Then one day I horrified a girlfriend (who is a brand manger for a wine company, so rightfully horrified by bad wine habits) by sharing that I was known to re-cap and refrigerate said open bottle … [Read more...]
Spelt Crepes, Mulled Wine Poached Pears & The Decadent Pantry
I've always been a bit of a perfectionist. Not in a 'the lines have to be straight' kind of way but more 'just fix that little bit, and that little bit, and that other little bit because they're driving me mad'. Details and I were best friends for years, or so I thought. The predisposition to perfection -- call it low-level OCD if you must -- is terribly handy for activities such as folding fitted sheets (I have the most organised linen cupboard ever, to RJ's chagrin I never quite make it to … [Read more...]
Exploring Southern Queensland Country: Pie, Wine, Cheese and Bushwalking in the Granite Belt
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Queensland, with its copious expanses of white sand, blue water, and miles upon miles of coastline was little other than a nearly never-ending summer... Not that there's anything wrong with miles of beaches, but the north eastern corner of Australia is a huge and diverse area, and only a few hours inland from Brisbane and the Gold Coast are rolling hills, farms and seasonal weather patterns -- who knew?! In early September I was asked to travel around … [Read more...]
Spiced Pear, Red Wine & Chocolate Cake
I'm sorry, it was entirely unfair for me to wait this long to post this cake. Entirely. It was baked and devoured back in April as part of a Seasonal Sunday Lunch feast and somehow is only now seeing the light of day. Remember this Drunken Chocolate Caramel Tart madness? This is that, but re-born into dark, rich cake. With spiced red wine poached pears. And a sticky red wine sauce. And as I just got back from a girls weekend in the Hunter Valley a red wine infused dessert is so … [Read more...]
