Last month we celebrated Arabella’s 19th birthday and as you know she had a small party to celebrate. I’m a big believer in serving food at teenage parties and although Arabella kept insisting I wasn’t to make anything because, ‘no one will eat it’, I ignored my wise old sage and stepped into the kitchen. […]
Saffron Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Sicilian Olives
August 18, 2013 By 44 Comments
Years ago when I was growing up my mother was always an enthusiastic cook. She liked to be up with the latest trends and would scour the newspaper for the most up-to-date recipes; (cooking magazines weren’t yet invented). One day there was in the paper a recipe calling for preserved lemons. No one in our […]
Slow-Cooked Beef Cheeks with Mushrooms and Red Wine
August 14, 2013 By 61 Comments
Since starting my blog I’ve become addicted to visiting blogs every morning. I like this for the sense of community I feel from being invited into a part of your lives but also because I love the sneak peek into your kitchens and seeing what you’re putting on your table. I find this inspiring and […]
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan Flan
July 18, 2013 By 42 Comments
I promised I would share with you the dessert we enjoyed at Balla last week. Coming from the Umbria region of Italy is this gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan flan that uses simple ingredients, is easy to make and can be served with fresh fruit, custard, cream or ice cream (depending on what you are giving up […]
Quick and Easy Herby Roast Chicken
May 24, 2013 By 50 Comments
Prior to leaving for our overnight stay in the Blue Mountains, I took a leg of lamb out of the freezer and left it on the bench to thaw out for a Sunday night roast on our return. I do try to be organised! On our way home and after we had visited The Sweetest […]
The Stampede and…Quick Chicken Curry
February 6, 2013 By 55 Comments
Back in the day when Archie was at boarding school, the boys felt a sense of being deprived, neglected, or even underprivileged. While this was a far stretch from reality, the boarders did share the sentiment that should any blessing, any privilege or any offering come their way, they would dive on it. And dive […]
The Vascular Surgeon and…Christmas Coconut Swirls
November 22, 2012 By 42 Comments
I was chatting with a friend over the phone a few days ago and she was purging this story of a horrendous surgeon she had ’employed’ to remove her gall bladder. After the operation she was in a lot of pain and wanted some adequate pain relief but the doctor had only written-up panadeine forte. […]
Caramel Popcorn and…The Wrong Side of the Law
November 14, 2012 By 35 Comments
I have to tell you about my friend. She tries really hard to fly under the radar but somehow, despite her best efforts, she is surrounded by drama. A few weeks ago she had to take her daughter for an ultrasound of a wobbly ankle so drove to the clinic in her massive 4-wheel drive. […]
Marinated Mushrooms and On the Trains
November 8, 2012 By 46 Comments
The solo and impromptu performance on the bus gave Archie inspiration. A few weeks ago he came to me and said, ‘Mum, I won’t be home Friday night. Don’t cook me any dinner’. ‘Where are you going, Archie?’ ‘I’ll be catching a train.’ ‘Where to?’ ‘I don’t know’. ‘Is everything okay?’ ‘We’ll just be going […]
On the ‘Up and Up’ and Stuffed Spatchcocks
October 8, 2012 By 48 Comments
Archie’s no longer unemployed. His circumstances apparently, are on the ‘Up and Up’. I don’t know how it happened and I have no idea who’s behind it, but Archie, in his very small fish bowl, is becoming sought after. It came as something as a shock when the phone rang and it was someone wanting […]
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